Turn The Page
by Valentine'sNinja
Summary: AU. Being single, mother of a teenager has been all Tifa has known for years until she meets a man intent on proving to her that romance isn't dead. ZackTifa, VincentYuffie, and SephirothAerith.
1. Smooth Talker

Hello! How is everyone doing on this fine day? I know that I have another story that is supposed to be a multi-chapter, and that a Reeve/Yuffie was next, but I just couldn't resist. That fic is in progress right now too, so expect it soon. It's just that I've had this chapter and story started for a while now and I wanted to know what you all thought.

I have wanted to write a Zack/Tifa fic for so long, and I have this one more or less figured out, unlike my other fic. Let me start out by letting you know that it's a major AU, most of the main characters are in the same age group, since they went to high school together, Aerith and Cloud are married, Denzel is his and Tifa's biological son, and Lucrecia is not the mother of Sephiroth. There are other tidbits that will come out as the story progress, but I can't tell you guys about them just yet. So I hope that you enjoy the read!

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of the characters used in this piece of fiction. I am making no money off of them!

**Warnings:** Some language probably, and adult situations in later chapters…

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Turn The Page

_Smooth Talker_

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AAACCCKKKKK!

"What the fu—"

"Finish that sentence at your own peril," said a stern voice from above him.

Blue eyes snapped open and long, thin hands pushed at the soaking wet hair over his eyes. "What the—_mom_!" the young man whined. "You just threw freezing cold water on me!" he exclaimed.

"I've been calling you downstairs for the last ten minutes. This is your first day of a new school year and I don't want you to be late," she said, walking over to what was left of the alarm clock he had knocked over when it had buzzed loudly. "I'm getting sick and tired of buying you new alarm clocks. I don't know Denzel, maybe you want to move in with your father, since he _does _lives closer to your school than we do. You can wake up later than you do here," she said in an irritated voice.

Denzel scoffed. "You really want to send me to live with dad and his 'new wife?' Come on ma, I know that she may act all sweet, but there's something about her that I don't like," he muttered.

"She's not so bad, sweetheart. She's nice and she has a beautiful garden," she said almost absently. "I don't hate her."

"But you don't like her either," Denzel muttered. "All that pink is creepy."

His mother looked at him sternly. "Denz…" she trailed off, not arguing.

"Maybe it's the fact that he basically left us for her?" he stated more than questioned. "Don't give me that look, Tifa," he said sarcastically, trying to get her to smile.

She scowled instead. "That's mother, or ma'am to you, buster," she said with a smile afterwards.

Denzel stood to his full height and hugged her, his wet hair dripping onto her shoulder. She shoved him back playfully. "I love you ma," he said, walking into his bathroom without a second glance.

"I love you too, baby," Tifa said softly, walking out of his room to finish getting breakfast ready. Truth was, that boy was her life. All she ever did was think of him and try her best to give him everything he needed. They had been on their own for about four years now. She and Denzel's father had divorced and though it had ended on good terms, it still hurt to know that he had married another woman soon after the divorce had been settled.

Aerith. They had been friends back in high school, and Aerith had dated Cloud, Denzel's father, for the majority of their high school years. Then in senior year they had broken up. Cloud had been the love of Tifa's life since they had been children, and she had made a move. He had easily accepted her, and Tifa had found out that though he had felt something deep for Aerith, he had also felt something similar for her. A few days after graduation, Tifa had found out that she was pregnant. They had gotten married, and things seemed to be positive, even though her friendship with Aerith had disintegrated. But Tifa knew, deep in her heart, that Cloud still felt something for Aerith, despite being married to her and having a son with her.

Four years ago, he had talked to her about things not being comfortable anymore; she had felt it as well, but her heart had still belonged to him. But she knew they weren't happy anymore. Even Denzel had noticed it, and had taken it so much better than any other teenager would have. The divorce had been settled and she had kept the house while Cloud moved out and in with another woman. He had married her about two months after their divorce. Denzel had been so angry those first few months and he was still distant, sometimes cynical. At other times he refused to speak to his father at all. It was only recently that he was spending more time with Cloud, still reluctantly.

She had gone to college when Denzel had been about five, and had a degree in teaching and English. She—much to Denzel's chagrin—taught senior year at his school, and had been teaching for almost seven years now. He was sixteen and about to start his junior year in high school, and he would turn seventeen before he became a senior. Tifa was proud to say that he was her son and had one of the highest GPA's in his year, though Denzel had asked her not to baby him in front of his friends, or the girls that were always surrounding him. Unfortunately for them both, Cloud also worked there. He was the History teacher and he taught freshmen and sophomores, so Denzel had had to deal with him the year before.

As she placed some scrambled eggs on a plate, followed by some bacon and sausage, Denzel walked down, fresh from a quick shower and dressed in the new clothes they had bought just a few days ago. He grinned and sat down at the table, taking in all the wonderful smells. "This looks great, but you shouldn't do this everyday. I can have cereal or a cereal bar and juice and that's it," he commented before taking a bite of his toast.

"Nonsense," Tifa replied. "The only day I won't cook breakfast for us is if we're late—which hopefully won't happen often—or if I'm too sick for it. Then you'll have to cook for me," she said with a smile.

Denzel gave her a horrified look. "You want _me_ to come near _your_ stove?" he asked.

"It's not like you've never cooked. All you need is some practice and you'll be as good as me, maybe better," she replied. "I know you like to keep things clean, but you need to learn how to cook too. Imagine you find yourself a nice girl who can't cook. How will you two survive if neither of you can cook?"

Denzel gave a snort of amusement. "Women who can't cook wouldn't interest me. I mean, you need to at least know the basics," he said sarcastically. "I'll learn to cook, I agree with you in that, but a girl has to know how to cook too."

Tifa smiled. Now that was her boy. "Hurry up, or we'll be late for real," she said, standing and placing her dish in the sink. She'd take care of those after school. She grabbed her bag with all the lesson plans for her English class and made for the door with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Denzel placed his dishes in the sink as well and grabbed a bottle of juice from the refrigerator before following his mother. He grabbed his backpack on the way and shut and lock the door of their home. She was starting her car, which so happened to be new and one he was expecting to borrow once he got his driver's license. They had a good life. The money wasn't scarce, but they weren't super rich either. Truth was, his mom was paid well at the school, and she gave him everything he wanted when he deserved it. Her house was bigger than his dad's anyway, and that made him feel smug for some reason. There were days that he hated his dad and couldn't help it, but he was working on that. He didn't like the fact that his dad looked like someone killed his puppy every time Denzel gave a snide remark or completely ignored him.

"There's something I have to tell you," Tifa said as they drove to the school.

Denzel gave her a curious look. "What?"

"The principal told me that there was a big chance that I would teach eleventh grade this year. They couldn't find a teacher for the junior's this year and they need an extra class. I'll still have my seniors, but I'll probably have one or two junior classes," she said as they drove.

"You think that one of those classes will be mine?" he asked nonchalantly.

Tifa shrugged. "Would that be so bad?" she asked, giving him a brief glance.

"No," he shook his head. "But we should lay down some ground rules first," he said seriously.

Tifa swallowed a laugh and only nodded. "Okay."

"First of all, don't call me honey or sweetheart, or any of those names like you do at home. It'll only embarrass me in front of my classmates. Second, don't show favoritism, I'll probably get beat up because of that. Third, I won't treat you like a stranger, but let's just keep a bit of distance. Is that okay with you?"

Tifa smiled despite all he had said. She understood what he meant, she had been a teenager a few years back as well and she remembered what it had been like. "Sure. Just know that you'll get the same assignments and deadlines as the rest of the class and just because you're my kid doesn't mean that you will have special privileges. I expect you to behave the way you're supposed to with all your teachers and I want you to do your best. Okay?"

"Yes, Mrs. Lockhart," he replied with a laugh.

"That's Professor Lockhart to you," she said with a grin. "After all, I do have the degree to be called that."

Denzel rolled his eyes as they arrived at the school and Tifa parked her car in her designated spot. Many students were already arriving and on their way to get their schedules. She had to go see the vice principal in order to know what her schedule would be like this year. As she and Denzel were stepping out of the car, she almost dropped the books in her hand when she saw who was getting out of his own vehicle a few spots away. "Great, and my morning had begun so well," grumbled Denzel from beside her as they walked towards the entrance of the main building.

"Despite the whole cold water episode?" Tifa asked with a grin. He just let out a snort and shook his head as they approached his father and his step-mother.

"Morning," Cloud said in that quiet, somber voice of his.

"Good morning," Tifa and Denzel said almost automatically. They stared at Aerith and smiled slightly. "What brings you around here?" Tifa asked her politely.

"I'm the new biology teacher," she said with a soft smile.

Tifa had to refrain from sighing in irritation. Yippee, now she'd get to see more of the woman who had married her ex-husband and who had once been her friend. Tifa had never seen her involvement with Cloud as a betrayal of Aerith. She'd talked to her and asked her what she thought, and Aerith had told her that she hadn't cared what Cloud did, because their relationship had been over. She had even started to date again, soon after she had broken up with Cloud. But still, the news that Tifa had become pregnant of Cloud and had married him, had not sat well with the other woman. She had stopped calling and visiting with the excuse that she was busy with college and work. Tifa nodded at Cloud and Aerith and bade her goodbye before moving towards the school entrance again. Denzel turned to follow her, but Cloud stopped him with a hand on his elbow.

"I have to get my schedule," Denzel said, trying not to sound irritated.

Cloud looked him over and smiled slightly. "You've grown at least another inch. Pretty soon you'll be taller than me," he said, patting the boy's shoulder.

"Yeah," said Denzel, inching away from his touch. "I'll see you later," he said before turning and walking away.

"Give him time," Aerith said from behind him.

Cloud turned to her with a heavy sigh. "It's been four years since we married. How can he still be angry at me?"

"In his eyes, you left him and his mother to be with me, regardless of how you explain things. He'll understand in time. Don't worry," she said gently, taking his arm and walking with him slowly.

Tifa frowned when she saw Denzel catch up with her. "Did he say something to get you angry?" she asked as they entered the main building.

He shook his head. "No, but I'm just not in the mood to play the part of the happy son for him. He left us, that's all I know, despite the fact that you have said that the divorce was mutual. Let him have his own kids with that lady so that he can worry about them."

His mother shook her head. "You'll understand someday, Denz, until then just try to be nice to your father. Even with all that has happened, he's a good man and he loves you. If you get out of school before I do, call me so that I can let you know if I'm going to get held back for some reason," she said.

"If you want I can just walk home. I don't mind the exercise," he quipped.

Tifa smiled and had to refrain from ruffling his hair and kissing his forehead the way she usually did. "Call me first and then we'll see. Behave and make me proud," she said before they split up and went their separate ways.

Denzel sighed to himself and approached the desk with the schedules. A woman was handing them out as the students gave their last names. He was stepping into line when suddenly a girl bumped into him rather roughly. "Oh, sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going," she said quickly.

Denzel stared at her. It was all he could manage to do at the moment. She was… she was amazing. She had long brown hair, light brown eyes, and light freckles over her nose. Her cheeks were pink and she was nearly his height, though it appeared she wouldn't get any taller than that. "It's okay," he mumbled, trying not to blush after staring at her for a few seconds.

"I'm Marlene, and you?" she asked cheerfully.

"I'm Denzel. Are you new here? I haven't seen you before," he commented.

Marlene nodded and smiled. "I just transferred here this year. My father and I moved down here from Midgar. He opened a new store here and is planning on staying here permanently," she blurted, then blushed. God, she couldn't believe she had just said all that to a strange boy.

"Name?" asked the woman at the table as they reached the front.

"Denzel Lock—Strife. Denzel Strife," he muttered again. The woman handed over the schedule and moved on to Marlene.

"Marlene Wallace," she stated with a sweet smile. The woman smiled back and handed over the schedule as well. "Denzel Lock-Strife?" Marlene asked with a grin as they started to walk down the hall, side by side.

"My mom's last name is Lockhart, but I keep forgetting that I'm Strife because of my dad. I used to like his last name, but when he divorced my mom, I wanted to keep her last name but she wouldn't let me. I call myself Lockhart just to spite my dad," he explained dryly.

"Well, that's not very nice," Marlene said as they compared their classes. "Look, we have all our classes together! Isn't that great?" she asked, smiling brightly.

_Perfect. _Denzel grinned to himself and nodded. "What about you? Any issues with your dad or mom?" he asked her.

Marlene shook her head. "No. My dad is great, and he's always tried to be the best dad, even more so after my real parents died."

"Sorry," Denzel said, feeling bad at having brought up her parents.

"It's okay. It happened when I was a little, so I'm okay now. I still miss them all the time, but I know that they're watching over me from the Lifestream. I know it hurts to lose someone you love, but we need to move on. He's not happy and I believe that if he finds the right person, he'll be happy again," she said softly. "The same goes for my uncle. He married this woman and she cheated on him. His divorce barely came out a few weeks ago. I think he needs to find some who is worth it. I never knew what he saw in that girl."

"I'm kinda having the same problem with my mom," Denzel said. "She hasn't dated anyone in four years, since the divorce. But she's young and she's pretty. She says that she will be ready when she's ready, which makes no sense to me. But I guess she hasn't found the guy who deserves her. We have her for English, by the way," he said flatly.

Marlene looked at him with wide eyes. "She's a teacher here?"

Denzel nodded. "Yeah. She usually teaches seniors, but she said this year she would have one or two junior classes. We should get to homeroom," he said as the first bell rang, which meant that they had ten minutes to get to class before the tardy bell rang and security would start to hand out detention for tardiness.

"Well, at least I won't sit alone on my first day at a new school," she said with a pretty smile.

Denzel tried not to blush as he stared again. "Wait until you meet my friends. I think you'll like them and they'll like you," he said with a grin.

* * *

"Morning, Teef."

Tifa looked up from the paperwork she was signing and smiled at her best friend. "Morning, Yuffie. Ready for a new school year?" she asked as the small woman walked over to stand at her side.

"As ready as can be. I hope the juniors are better than last year's seniors. Though it's amazing to see the level of stupidity in seventeen year old boys, they build some awesome stink bombs. I remember building the ultimate stink bomb during biology when we were in high school," she said with a laugh.

Tifa remembered that episode too. "You were suspended for two days weren't you?"

Yuffie nodded. "Because the smell wouldn't go away and it stayed for more than two days I think. Anyway, I think I'm going to be teaching our kids this year as well. I'm going to make Denzel and Oren's lives a living hell," she said with an evil smirk.

"Hmm, and here I thought that you did that on a regular basis," Tifa replied with a grin. "Leave them be, Yuffie. Our son's are sixteen and at the age where girls will start to notice them more. You can't embarrass Oren. Denzel and I have come to an agreement as well. We'll have a solely professional relationship while at school. I can't call him sweetheart or kiss his cheek, and he'll be a good student."

"Umm, Tifa? Have you seen Oren recently? Girls have been noticing him since his voice deepened, which was a while ago. They know he's my son and they know that if I don't approve them, they need to sniff out some other guy. It doesn't matter if his mother embarrasses him, he's got his looks on his side. That goes for Denzel as well."

Tifa grinned as they began to walk out of the office with their classroom rosters. Yuffie was right. Her sixteen-year-old son had grown into the spitting image of his father. Which meant that he was a wildly attractive boy who had hordes of girls chasing after him. He was tall, thin and with a very handsome face and intriguing crimson colored eyes. It was interesting enough that he didn't use his looks to his advantage. He was a shy boy, nothing like his mother. But when teamed up with Denzel and with Pauline Highwind and Danielle Shinra, they were a group of troublemakers.

Also in their group were two other boys. Gavin was the son of her old friend Reno, and like his father, he was the class flirt, though he was hopelessly in love with Pauline. It didn't cease to amaze Tifa that Reno was a single father and had raised a smart boy who loved science and tutored other students when he had the chance. Dorian was the son of her cousin, Tseng and his wife Elena. He got along great with Denzel, even though they sometimes had a sort of rivalry thing going on about everything. If Denzel did something, Dorian had to do it better, or at least just as well. They hadn't ever fought over anything seriously, but there were times when they tried to one-up each other and stopped talking for a few days.

"Did you see who is going to start teaching this year?" Yuffie asked softly.

Tifa sighed heavily and nodded. "Denzel and I saw them in the parking lot. Don't worry about me, Yuf. It doesn't hurt as much as it used to," she said with a slight smile. "What about you and Reno?"

Yuffie shrugged and pushed her short hair behind her ear. "It's fun, but I don't see him as husband material or anything more serious than an occasional fuck," she whispered so that no one overheard. "Don't get me wrong, he's done a fine job raising Gavin without a mother for him, even though I think that it's Rude's doing more than Reno's, but I'm not looking for something serious Tifa. Oren's father made sure to ruin that in me. I can't commit."

Tifa only nodded and offered no comment. Yuffie was like a sister to her, and they had known each other since their first day of high school. She had been with her through everything and Tifa loved her with all her heart because Yuffie was an amazing human being. She had been dating a guy that had been dark and mysterious—and unattainable to many girls—in high school. Tifa had often wondered how Yuffie had accomplished getting his attention because she had been a tom-boyish klutz who had talked too much. Oren's father had been the silent brooding type who had spent much of his time alone. Strangely enough, he had been Cloud's best friend.

At graduation, he had broken up with Yuffie because he had been about to leave the country. She had been devastated, but she had taken it like no other girl would have. She hadn't cried, kicked, or screamed at him. She had merely nodded and walked away from him, not even bothering to demand any type of explanation as to why and where he was going. Yuffie had known that she wouldn't have received any type of answer. Only Tifa knew how Yuffie had been those first few days after graduation. A few weeks later, she had found out that she was pregnant, almost at around the time that Tifa had found out that Denzel had been on his way as well.

Yuffie hadn't seen Oren's father since their break-up, and the man had no idea that he had left behind a son and a woman who would never be able to commit to another man. With Tifa's help, Yuffie had also gone to school to get a teaching degree and taught different grades of math. She had always been good for numbers, and had neglected her math classes in high school as a result, but she had passed with flying colors when she had taken her exit exams.

"Why is it that the men we loved once ruined us for any type of relationship?" Tifa murmured as they rounded a corner and she ran into a brick wall. The arms of the said wall wrapped around her and Tifa realized that she had slammed into a tall, handsome man that looked nothing like a brick wall. He was looking down at her with amused, blue blue eyes from under spiky hair even darker than hers, a really deep black.

"Hmm, and here I was thinking that my morning couldn't get any better when an angel was pushed into my arms," he said with a charming smile.

Yuffie stifled a giggle and noticed the red flush on Tifa's face as she pushed out of the man's arms. Tifa smoothed a hand over her clothes and pushed back her hair. "Sorry about that," she said uncomfortably, taking back the papers she had dropped from the man who had bent to pick them up.

"No apology is necessary," said the guy. "I meant what I said."

Tifa had to stop the glare from reaching her eyes. "_Right_," she muttered. "Excuse me, but we have to go," she said moving away from the handsome man, who was still eyeing her as if she were the most beautiful thing he had ever encountered. She almost dragged Yuffie with her down the hall, feeling the man's eyes on her back before they turned another corner that lead to their classrooms.

"He was hot," Yuffie commented. "And he was looking at you like… like a man who fell in love at first sight."

Tifa scoffed. "Please, Yuffie, you're being melodramatic. There's no such thing as love at first sight."

"That's not true," Yuffie said as she unlocked the door of her classroom, which happened to be the one in front of her friends' and had been for the past five years. "It was love at first sight with Oren's father. At least for me."

Tifa smirked as she opened her own door and hit the lights. "I don't think you can count an obsession of a fifteen year old girl as love at first sight," she said just before the bell for homeroom rang.

"Yeah, well, I have no comment to that," Yuffie said as the students began fill the hall. "Good luck on your first day of a new year."

"You too," said Tifa with a smile. "And don't humiliate our sons. That's the last thing they need right now," she said before stepping into her class and watching the students walk in and take their seats before they started to chat with their friends. Her mind drifted to the man she had run into and the way his eyes had seemed to shine on her.

She could honestly admit that he was the most handsome man she had seen in a while. Cloud didn't count, and neither did Reno or Rude. Rufus Shinra was an eyeful, but he was too cocky for her tastes. No, this man she was thinking about had to be the hottest—as Yuffie said—she had seen in a while. The tardy bell rang just as a few other students filed in and she smiled at the new faces. She didn't have the time to think of tall, handsome men who were incredibly exaggerated with their words.

* * *

"Hey Seph."

"Fair. How many times must I ask you to call me by my given name?" asked the serious man, not looking up from his paperwork.

"Well, when you stop calling me Fair and call _me_ by my given name, I'll call you _Sephiroth_," muttered his friend as he sat in the chair on the other side of Sephiroth's desk. "Your kid is starting his junior year, isn't he?"

Sephiroth nodded and finally looked up at his old friend, green eyes narrowed. "He's taken to defying everything I order him to do. He's got a rebellious streak in him that oddly enough reminds me of you, _Zack,_" he said with near vehemence.

The dark haired man grinned. "Don't blame me for that. He's a teenager, and teenagers are crazy. We all go through that phase."

"It seems to me you haven't left that phase in ten years," Sephiroth put in. "I can't imagine how you became the career counselor if it took you so long to know what you wanted to do."

Zack smirked and ran a hand through his thick spikes of black hair. "I'm a sponge. I absorb everything I learn quickly. I was able to get my degrees in half the time anyone else could've. That, my friend, is why I got this job. I know everything there is to know about all the universities and what they can offer the little larvas that attend this school," he said with an easy smile.

Sephiroth merely rolled his eyes and placed some papers into a folder. "What, may I ask, are you doing here, pestering me so early?"

Zack stared off into space with a dreamy look on his face. "Seph, I think I fell in love at first sight."

"With what? Your own reflection?" came the jibe from his old friend.

Zack snorted and shook his head. "I was on my way over here when this beautiful little thing slammed into me. I swear, she had the most stunning eyes I have ever seen, and her hair……" he trailed off.

"I always knew you had some type of sick fetish with hair," Sephiroth commented. "I'm telling you, Fair, you need to see a shrink because trying to _feel _on _my _hair is not normal."

The dark haired man grinned. "Your hair is so damned long it wacked me in the face that time because of the wind and I had a rough time trying to push it away. I was _not _feeling your hair. But that's beside the point. She was this pale beauty with long, brunette hair, and eyes that were brown with red flecks in them."

That sounded like someone Sephiroth knew. "Was she walking with a small woman with short hair and strange clothing?"

"I think so."

"Well then my friend, you've just met Tifa. She is the most loved English professor at this school," Sephiroth said as he stood and walked over to place the folder into a cabinet.

"I can see why," muttered Zack with a sigh. "She's beautiful. Is she married?"

"Divorced. Her son is a junior as well."

"No joke?" Zack asked, shocked to know that such a young, gorgeous woman had a son that age. "Is she taken?"

"Why don't you ask her all this yourself?" Sephiroth asked in irritation.

"I think I will," Zack said as he stood.

"You can't do it now, you fool," his friend snapped. "It's the first day of school and the first class of the day."

"Fine, fine. We'll have lunch today?" Zack asked.

Sephiroth tried to reign in his annoyance. Though he had known Zack since high school, the man knew how to irritate him to death. They had been best friends, and had both been stars for the football team. Though there were days when Zack was a bit too much to handle, he was always there. He'd always been his brother. So naturally Sephiroth hated many things that came out of Zack's often obnoxious mouth, especially when concerning women, but he was the little brother he had never had. Also, lunch was code name for, 'what did you bring for me to free-load off of you?' He sighed. "I stopped by the deli near my home before I got here. _I'm_ having a turkey sandwich." Which was code name for, 'I bought you one too.'

"Do you know Tifa?" Zack asked with a grin.

Sephiroth sighed. "I am not going to introduce you two. You'll have to do this all on your own. You just need to know that her ex-husband is a teacher here as well. He remarried four years ago and the kid hates him half of the time."

Zack smiled evilly. "So you _do _know her. It doesn't matter, you're right. I can introduce myself and get a date from her on my own. I'll see you later, Seph," he said almost absently before standing and walking out of the dean's office.

Sephiroth watched his friend go and released the long, irritated breath he had been pushing away. Leave it to Zack to always fall for the most problematic women. And though Tifa just so happened to be an old friend of his, he knew that she wasn't looking for anyone to date at the moment. He just hoped that she shot Zack down nicely.

* * *

"How were your first two classes?" Tifa asked Yuffie as she sat down with her at a table at the teacher's lounge.

"They were pretty normal. Oren and Denzel were good students. Are you aware that Denz has a new friend? A pretty girl with brown hair and sweet eyes. I think he has a crush on her," said Yuffie as she handed Tifa a container with steamed rice and some type of reddish chicken.

Tifa smiled and handed Yuffie a container of her famous potato salad. "How could you possibly know if he has a crush on her? They just met!" she said with a giggle.

Yuffie's eyes widened and then she grinned slowly. "Hot guy at twelve o'clock. He's looking at you and he's standing next to another hot guy with long, silver hair."

"Aren't you a little too old to be saying the word 'hot' when referring to a man?" asked Tifa in irritation. But she looked over against her better judgment. She smiled at the silver haired man and looked away when the dark haired one gave her a shining smile as well. "That's the dean, Sephiroth, but I don't know who the one with black hair is," she admitted.

"Why don't you ask? He seems interested enough. It's time for you to start dating again. It's been four years. Move on. Get laid," said Yuffie dryly.

Tifa almost choked on the rice she had started to swallow. She took a sip of her water and shook her head. "I know you did not just say that to me," she said with a nervous laugh.

"Whatever," Yuffie muttered, gazing covertly at the men, who had taken their seats on a table by the door. "The dean? With hair like that, he should be a male model or something."

"You should see his eyes up close," Tifa admitted. "And he's a nice guy. Do I hear a note of interest in your voice?"

Yuffie shook her head. "He's _hot_ but that's it. I'll stick with Reno when I need someone to scratch my itch. There's something disturbing and dangerous about the dean."

Tifa just shook her head and found her eyes sliding over to look at Sephiroth and his friend. He was talking animatedly to silver-haired man, who looked annoyed and about ready to throttle him. She smiled to herself and turned back to her lunch, but not before meeting his blue eyes and receiving a wink that made her feel flustered.

The day had gone on smoother than Tifa had anticipated. The seniors this year were just as rebellious as last years, but they weren't too much for her to handle. Her juniors were just as bad, but she wasn't cowed by them. Being an authority figure had always come easy to her, but her students liked her and didn't cause her much problems. Besides, it felt better to be the nice type of authority figure. Kill them with kindness and all that stuff.

Denzel had told her that Danielle Shinra would give him and Oren a ride home, since Tifa and Yuffie would be staying at the school for another hour, attending a faculty meeting. The dreadfully boring meeting was now over and all the teachers were filing out of the room. The new members of the faculty had been introduced to everyone, and she had found out that her mystery admirer was one of the school counselors and would be helping the children in their plans for college and their careers. His name was Zack Fair. She remembered Sephiroth mentioning him a long time ago.

She sighed to herself and stepped out the door when Cloud stopped her. It seemed Aerith had gone ahead to their car. "I need to get home to my son," she said, sounding tired.

Cloud smiled bitterly. "I'm trying, Tifa. I don't know what else to do to get close to him. He ignores me and doesn't even make an effort to let me be a father to him," he said as they walked down the hall together.

Tifa just shook her head. "I can't do anything about that, Cloud, even though I want to. I've tried talking to him; I've tried telling him that we parted out of mutual accord, but he thinks differently, and I can't change the way his thoughts go. He's a teenager and he's going through that phase in life where he hates anything that he can't understand. Having your parents divorced is not a pleasant thing. Just give him time," she said calmly.

"Ask him if he wants to spend the weekend at my place. I don't want to force him, but I want to see Denzel. He's my son too," Cloud said with a defeated sigh. "I'll see you tomorrow, Teef."

Tifa just nodded and slowed her step as Cloud moved ahead. Parenting had never been easy, and she was viciously pleased that Cloud was finally understanding that. It was petty, yes, but she couldn't help the way she thought either.

"Gil for your thoughts?" asked a deep voice from beside her.

She looked over and smiled slightly. "I don't think I know you enough to tell you."

Zack grinned and offered his hand. "Zack Fair. Pleasure to meet you."

Tifa took his hand and felt her mood lift considerably. "Tifa Lockhart. It's nice to meet you too. Officially."

"Well, as for you not knowing me enough, we can easily remedy that," he said as they stepped into the parking lot and walked towards her car. "How about I take you out on a date?"

"Isn't it against the school's rules?" she asked with a lift of a perfectly arched eyebrow.

He shrugged his wide shoulders. "Are you going to tell anyone? And it's not like you'll get fired or something. They don't recommend faculty dating because of the conflicts caused by break-ups and all that. If you'd like, we can go out as friends only," he offered.

Tifa gave him a shy look and was about to turn him down when she looked up and saw that Cloud was watching her from where he was standing at his car, putting away his things. Yuffie was right. It was time to move on. Get laid… er, she did not just think that! She was going to kill Yuffie for putting _those _thoughts in her head. She smiled at the man next to her and stopped at her car. "Okay. We'll go out, but… just as friends, okay?"

Zack smiled and took her hand in his, placing a kiss on her knuckles. "That's fine by me," he said smoothly. Though he was sure he would be able to con another date out of her by the end of the night.

He wasn't even aware of the pair of blue eyes narrowed and focused on them a small distance away.

* * *

How was that for a start, hmm? Pretty long, but I least I got my intro's across the way I wanted them. I just love the Zack and Tifa pairing, even though my favorites are Vincent/Yuffie, and Tifa/Cloud. I hope I didn't go too OOC on you guys, but it's and AU, so bear with me, ok? Anyway, Cloud and Tifa are divorced, Denzel hates his dad, Yuffie is a single mother, Vincent is MIA, Sephiroth is a single father, and Zack basically fell in love at first sight with Tifa. Can he possibly win Tifa over after she hasn't dated in so long? And how cute are Marlene and Denzel?

Stay tuned for the next chapter! I hope everyone enjoyed this start and if you have the time, drop me a line to let me know if I should sack this fic and continue with Vince/Yuffie and Cloud/Tifa!

Byebye

Joey

P.S. Expect my Reeve/Yuffie soon. It's going to be called, _Suffocate._ Though it's not a tragedy or anything, so don't get scared of the title.


	2. Friends Only?

So many people want to see Cloud hurt! Where is your compassion people? Hehehe…

**

* * *

**

Friends Only?

* * *

The scent of coffee was strangely lifting up Tifa's mood as it always did whenever she woke up feeling a little down. Though she would be going on a date as_ friends_ with Zack, she didn't know if she was doing the right thing. She was out of practice in the dating department, since she had spent most of her life dedicated to Cloud and then to their son. She knew that deep down, her heart still belonged to him, no matter how much she tried to forget. She would never do anything to interfere in his and Aerith's marriage, but her heart was a stubborn one.

As she wrote the day's assignment on the white board, she was unaware that she was being watched by the subject of her thoughts. Cloud stepped into the classroom and cleared his throat. "Morning," he said quietly, so as not to startle her.

Tifa turned to look at him and smiled slightly. "Good morning, Cloud. How can I help you?" she asked, not stopping her writing on the board.

Cloud cleared his throat again and tried not to let his eyes linger on Tifa's form. Though he may have preferred Aerith to Tifa, he had always been attracted to his ex-wife. She was a beautiful woman with soft curves that caught many eyes. Also, the fact that they had divorced didn't mean that he didn't care for her. She was the mother of his son and he was worried about her bringing a strange man into their home. At least that was what he told himself before he uttered his next words. "Look, Teef, you know that I care about you, right?"

Tifa stopped what she was doing and finally turned to him, a questioning look on his face. "Well, I hoped you cared about me as more than a friend, but that didn't happen and now you're married to a woman that was once my friend," she replied dryly. "What are you getting at?"

The blond man sighed and looked her in the eye. "I ran into Yuffie on my way to the office and she mentioned something about you _finally going on a date_, as she put it," he said almost casually.

Tifa wanted to pinch the bridge of her nose in irritation, but refrained. She knew that everything Yuffie did was with an ulterior motive, but Tifa hadn't wanted Cloud to do what he was doing now. He was being overprotective and it wasn't his business to be that way anymore. He was a married man. "What is it exactly that you're trying to tell me?"

Cloud stepped close to her and gave her a serious look. "You don't even know this guy. What makes you think that he's a good man? He could be just looking to get you in the sack and then leave you. I've seen him flirting with most of the women on the faculty."

Tifa couldn't believe what she was hearing. "That's the point of going on a date Cloud. I need to get to know him in order to see what type of person he is," she said impatiently. Though she was leaving out the fact that she had told Zack that they were going out as friends. "Besides," she snapped, resuming her writing on the board. "I'm a grown woman and I know what I'm doing. I rushed into things with you and though I love our son, I wish I could've done things differently. Look at us now, we're divorced and you're here, trying to give me dating advice," she said, a hint of bitterness in her tone.

Cloud didn't like the guilty feeling settling in his gut again. He knew he had hurt her by leaving her, even though they had parted mutually, but still, he would've given anything to not hurt Tifa or their son. "Tifa, I'm just worried about you. I'm telling you, this guy is bad news."

Tifa let out an angry sigh and turned to him again. "Cloud, drop it. I will do what I want, when I want, because I'm a grown woman. Must I remind you again that you're a married man? Stop worrying about me and worry about her. I don't need you interfering in my life."

His blue eyes narrowed and he was about to reply to her words when the bell rang and he could hear the students making their way to their classes. "I just hope that in your quest to meet new people you don't end up hurting our son," he muttered.

Her eyes snapped angrily to his but she refrained from saying anything when her first students walked into the classroom, not noticing the tension between the two adults. Cloud grabbed the portfolio he had placed on her desk and walked out of the room, not spotting his son as he walked in with Marlene, Oren, and the rest of his friends.

Denzel gave his mother a questioning look which returned with a small shake of her head and a smile. He turned to Marlene, who also realized that their professor looked tense and they took their seats towards the back of the classroom in their usual spots. "As of late, all my dad does is make my mom more stressed than she is," he told Marlene as they took out their text books and notebooks.

Marlene gave his hand a squeeze and gave him a sweet smile. "She can handle herself. Don't worry about her because she's stronger than you think."

Denzel smiled and nodded, ignoring the puckering sounds that Oren was quietly making from his other side. Meanwhile, Tifa was trying to get her temper back under control and decided that she needed a few minutes of silence. "Everyone, please turn to page 153 in your books and read from there to page 175. Then I want you to answer the questions at the end of the story and turn in your work as soon as you're done," she said with a small sigh before taking her seat at her desk and going through the tests she hadn't been able to complete and would turn in at the end of the week. Grading papers had always calmed her nerves when she was stressed.

Thirty minutes into the class, there was a knock at the door and one of the students stood to answer, letting in a man who was carrying a rather beautiful vase full of white roses and lavender blossoms. Tifa signed over for it and was very aware that the students had stopped their work to watch curiously as she took the little card taped to the vase. She gave them all a questioning look and every head turned back to their work except for her son, nephew, and the pretty brunette that was always at her son's side as of late.

Tifa opened the small envelope and took out the small card with a casual, dark bold script. She felt a smile tugging at her lips when she saw that it was from Zack. _I'm looking forward to seeing you outside of this school. How about I pick you up Saturday night at seven in the evening? I will find you to confirm. Meanwhile, enjoy these beautiful flowers which reminded me so much of you when I saw them. Fresh and lovely, fit for a woman like yourself. I hope you have a good day. –Zack._

"I know who gave her those!" Marlene whispered excitedly.

Denzel turned to look at her in question. For some reason he had been imagining his dad, but the thought hadn't sat well with him. His father was married to another woman and sending flowers to his mother wasn't something a married man did. If Marlene knew who it was, then maybe that meant that the flowers weren't from his dad. "Who are they from?"

Marlene grinned. "They're from my uncle Zack! He called me yesterday to ask me about flowers and what he should give a girl that he liked. I told him about mixing roses with other flowers and stuff like that. I guess he took my advice seriously!"

"But why is your uncle sending my mom flowers? I didn't even know that they knew each other that way," said Denzel, feeling slightly peevish at the fact that his mother was seeing a man and hadn't told him about it.

"Well, from what my uncle told me, he barely asked her out a few days ago and she accepted. I don't know what else is going on," said Marlene as they went back to their work when Tifa looked up from the card that she had been reading. Denzel realized that she was in a better mood now than when they had seen his dad leaving the room. He had to meet this Zack character as soon as possible.

When the class was finally over, Marlene and Denzel were the last to leave and they took the moment to approach Tifa. "How can I help you, Mr. Strife?" she asked with a smile.

"Come on ma, there's no one but Marlene around, and she has my trust," he replied. Tifa noted with an inner smile that the girl was blushing slightly. "Why didn't you tell me that you were seeing some guy? I thought a good parent-child relationship was based on trust!" he said, feigning hurt.

Tifa laughed softly. "Well, honey, I hadn't told you because I just met him and he asked me out. All I told him was that I would go out with him as friends. I'm not sure I'm ready for another relationship after my last one," she said with meaning, referring to Cloud.

"My uncle Zack isn't a bad person," said Marlene with a smile. "He's been through a lot, which I won't tell you about since it's not my place, and he's sweet and funny. Any woman would be lucky to have him," she said sweetly.

"Oh, so you're related to him?" Tifa asked in surprise.

Marlene nodded. "Trust me, Professor Lockhart, I wouldn't stand up for him if he wasn't a good man. He's helped my father raise me and he's been good to me. I love him almost as much as my dad."

"I'll keep that in mind, sweetheart. But things I've gone through have made me cautious. Maybe I'll change my mind later on, but for now I am only interested in your uncle's friendship. Don't worry your pretty heads over me. Now, get going or you'll be late to homeroom," Tifa said with a smile.

"See you later, mom," said Denzel, pressing a kiss to her cheek and walking out of the classroom with Marlene.

"Do you ever wish that your dad would've stayed with your mom?" she asked him as they walked down the hallway.

Denzel shrugged. "When I was younger, yes. But then I realized that there were many things that indicated that neither of them were truly happy with each other. I can't help but blame my dad still. My mom is a great person and she really does deserve the best in life," he replied.

Marlene smiled at him and felt her cheeks color when their eyes met and then they both quickly looked away from each other. Then her eyes brightened and she ran forward to embrace a tall man with spiky black hair and bright blue eyes. "Denzel, this is my uncle Zack!" she said happily.

"Nice to meet you," said Zack, shaking hands with the other teen. Then he turned to his niece and grinned. "Did she like the flowers, or were they too over the top?" he asked eagerly.

Denzel was still suspicious, but actually liked the guy on sight. "You brightened her mood considerably. Especially after she had some type of episode with my dad before class started," he said smoothly.

Zack's eyes snapped back to the young man and he realized who it was that he had just met. "You're Tifa's son," he said in realization. Though he was usually smooth with kids _and_ their mothers, this one was special because his mother was special. He had never felt quite as attracted to other women the way he did with Tifa. Besides, he could see where the kid had gotten his good looks from. Though his hair was a lighter brown, and his eyes were blue, his face was almost all Tifa's.

Denzel felt a slight tension in the air and smirked faintly. "My mom liked your flowers. She really was in a better mood after she got them. You asked her out, correct?"

Zack cleared his throat and nodded. Why was he getting the feeling that he should reply with a _yes sir?_ "I asked her out to dinner and she said that we would go as friends," he replied with a grin. "I really don't mind, as long as we get to know each other."

The younger man nodded and smiled. "I expect you treat my mother with respect. She's not alone and I'm the man of the house now," he said, half serious.

"I think that your mother is lucky to have you. It was nice to meet you Denzel, but I have to get going," he said, looking at his watch. "Sweetums, I'll see you later too," he said to Marlene, giving her a squeeze before he walked away.

Marlene turned to Denzel and smiled. "Did you like him?"

He thought about it for a moment and found himself nodding. "Yeah, actually I did. I imagined that the first guy my mom dated would be this huge jerk and I would get a chance to talk crap and tell him off. This is not the case," he said with a small laugh. Then he became serious when he thought about his dad. "I just really hope that my dad doesn't interfere in this," said Denzel before they resumed their walk to homeroom. They were already late.

* * *

That day had been one of the longest for Cloud. Ever. He didn't know if it was the fact that his students—female students—were basically drooling over him, that they were taking so long in learning the history of the Ancients. Add to that the fact that his conversation with Tifa in the morning hadn't gone the way he had wanted it too, and that Aerith kept asking him if he was okay. He wasn't having a good day. He had stayed another hour after school while his wife had gone on home, and as he made his way to his car, he spotted his ex-wife walking ahead of him.

"Tifa!" he called, jogging to catch up to her.

She turned when he called her name, but didn't stop for him. Instead she began to walk faster to put more distance between them. "Go home to your wife, Cloud," she said in annoyance, reaching for her keys and popping the trunk to place her bag-full of assignments inside.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said to you in the morning, but I can't help the way I think. I'm just worried about you and Denzel," he said honestly.

Tifa frowned and shook her head. "Worry about Denzel, not about me. I know what I'm doing, I told you already. Cloud, we're not even friends anymore, so there's no reason for you to be interfering in my life. All we have in common is Denzel and that's the way I want it to stay. I'm fine, now go home," she said in annoyance.

"Tifa, I don't think that you're thinking this through. What if he—"

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" asked another, smoother voice.

Tifa turned around and smiled when she spotted Zack standing behind them. "No, you're not interrupting anything at all," she said, eyes sliding back to Cloud. "My ex-husband here was just leaving to _go home_ to his _wife_. Have a good night, Cloud," she said seriously.

"You too," said Cloud after a moment of silence. His eyes met Zack's and he felt a wave of intense dislike wash through him. He wouldn't classify what he was feeling as jealousy, but he didn't trust the man in front of him for some reason. He _wasn't_ going to leave Tifa alone when it came to this.

Zack turned to Tifa and smiled brightly. "I hope you liked my flowers," he said.

Tifa nodded. "They were beautiful. Thank you very much. I just couldn't bring them with me, so I left them on my desk in the classroom. They brighten up the whole room and smell wonderful," she said, feeling a bit shy as he gave her an intense look.

"Are you available on Saturday then?" he asked as he opened her car door for her.

Tifa nodded. "That would be great. Can I ask where we are going to go?"

Zack nodded. "I was thinking a movie and then dinner at this small Wutain place I've liked since high school. Since we're only going as friends," he said with a grin, "I didn't think it would be necessary to dress up too much."

"That sounds perfect, for friends I mean. Would you like to take down my number and address?" she asked, noting that Cloud was barely pulling out of his parking space, as if he were waiting for her to leave. She exchanged numbers with Zack and felt a small weight lift when Cloud was finally gone.

"Until Saturday then," said Zack with a smile.

Tifa nodded and returned it. "Have a good evening," she replied. She almost fell over when he leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek. He walked away and Tifa got into her car, wondering why her cheek was still tingling from where his lips had touched. She honestly couldn't wait for Saturday, even though they were only going out as friends.

* * *

"How do I look?" asked Tifa as she walked down to the living room where Denzel, Oren, Gavin, and Dorian were playing video games and generally acting like pigs with their junk food.

Dorian whistled and got up to kiss his aunt's cheek. "You look great, aunt Tifa. Out on a hot date?" he asked her.

Tifa shook her head. "I'm just going to a movie and dinner with a friend, kiddo. Now please, don't leave the living room like it's a pigsty. The other day I found stale popcorn stuck to pieces of old candy under the couch when I was cleaning. If you don't cooperate, I am going to band you guys from eating food in the living room," she said as she patted Dorian's shoulder.

He was a handsome boy with short, dark blonde hair and dark brown eyes. He looked more like Elena than he did Tifa's cousin, Tseng. Gavin had Reno's blue-green eyes, but his hair was a mass of black spikes. All four were a group of very handsome boys who attracted attention from girls no matter where they were. That was why Denzel was sometimes embarrassed to go to the supermarket with her. She noticed the girls around him and purposely asked him what type of detergent he wanted for his underwear. Yuffie was very much the same, but usually asked Oren to go pick her up a box of tampons when she saw the girls around her son—even though she really didn't make him actually do it.

Denzel stood from the group after handing over his control to Gavin and walked over to Tifa, who was in the process of pulling on a black jacket over a pretty, dark blue top. She was in jeans and boots, and her long hair was as silky as always. She looked a little nervous, but Denzel couldn't deny that she looked pretty. "Why are you so nervous if you're going out as friends only?" he asked smartly.

Tifa gave him an annoyed look. "Because I haven't been alone with a man in years. Now stop pestering me and make yourself useful. Should I wear my hair up or down? Earrings or no earrings?" she asked him quickly.

"You look fine the way you are now. As for earrings, you can wear the ones that used to be grandma's. The white pearls with the tear shape hanging from them?" he offered, much to the sniggering of his friends and cousins.

Tifa smiled and nodded. "That's a great idea. Now run upstairs and get them for me, please?"

Denzel nodded and set up the stairs quickly to get her jewelry. As he was coming back down the stairs, the doorbell rang and Oren stood to get it as he handed over the earrings. Tifa quickly put them on and approached the door where Zack was waiting. "Come on in," said Tifa with a smile. He looked very handsome in a black dress shirt with the top buttons undone and khaki pants. But really, he did look good in anything he wore.

"How is everyone doing?" asked Zack, noticing the teenage boys who were giving him scrutinizing looks. Geez, it was like his first date all over again, but this time he was being intimidated by his date's nephews and not her brothers.

"You have her back here at a decent hour, okay Mr. Fair?" asked Denzel.

"Unless you want to go home and find your place has been egged," said Gavin.

"Or that every time you try to turn on your car, there's a potato in the exhaust pipe," said Dorian.

"Ha ha, very funny guys," said Tifa with a roll of her eyes. "Rules before I go. Have dinner, order take-out or something, don't just pig-out on junk food. No parties, I won't be gone _that_ long. Keep the noise to a minimum and don't be up too late. And for the love of all that is holy, pick-up after yourselves? You're almost grown men, act like it," she said as she grabbed her purse and moved towards Zack, who was smiling in amusement.

"Ready?" he asked her as they walked out the door. She was a great authority figure and it was obvious that all the boys loved her. "They're all related to you?" he asked as he opened the door of his car for her.

Tifa had to stop to admire the luxury SUV of the year that he owned. She got into the car and waited for Zack to get into the driver's seat to reply. "No. By blood it's only Dorian—the blond—who is related. But Oren, the one with the black hair and red eyes is the son of my best friend since high school, same goes for the other dark haired one. He's the son of Reno and I've known him for a long time too. They were all born at around the same time and are therefore great friends," she said as he pulled onto the road.

The drive was pretty short and towards the center district of Edge. Once they arrived at the theater, Tifa stepped out of the car lest Zack run around it to open it for her. Really, she was a simple girl who wasn't used to those things, no matter how romantic it really was. Besides, they were only there as friends. "What are we watching?" she asked as they walked towards the ticket booth.

"I was thinking one of those space alien movies that are scary and violent, since we're only here as friends," said Zack with a grin.

"All right, wise guy. I get your point. Let me be honest with you," Tifa said softly. "I've only ever had two boyfriends before, in all of my years. One of them is the father of my son and we were married for many years. I'm not good at this dating thing and I like to start out slow. If you can't handle slow, then maybe this was a bad idea," she said seriously, staring up into his amazing blue eyes. They were different from Cloud's, possibly a more electric blue that was almost purple, but they were extraordinary to look at.

Zack looked down at her, since he was quite a bit taller, and smiled. "I can handle as slow as you want it to be. Even though I know little about you, you're an amazing woman. You've moved on with your life and you aren't pining over a married man. You are raising your son alone, no matter that your ex helps out when he can. All of the work falls on you and you've done an amazing job with a boy who cares so much for you. I want to get to know you because I know that there's so much more awesomeness inside of you that has yet be shown. I know that sounded completely cheesy," he said with a chuckle.

Tifa laughed with him and shook her head. "It's one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me actually," she said as they took a look at the movies.

After compromising on an action/adventure with a side of romance, they made their way back to Zack's car and drove towards the restaurant he had talked to her about. They were seated in a cozy booth where they would get some privacy if needed. Tifa took a sip of her glass of water and sat back to look Zack over. He was a tall man with wide shoulders, the blackest hair she had ever seen, and with those amazing eyes. He was incredibly handsome, despite the scar on his that looked suspiciously like an 'X,' and it didn't take away from his looks. Somehow the imperfection brought out an almost dangerous and adventurous air about him.

Zack for his part was trying to act nonchalant as he felt Tifa's eyes tracing his features. He had done his fair share of checking her out, especially her most obvious features, and he wasn't talking about her beautiful face. She was in an amazing shape, but what he liked more about her was her eyes and her hair. Maybe Seph was right and he had issues with hair.

"Can I ask about your scar?" Tifa asked hesitantly.

He nodded and grinned. "Sure, and don't worry, there's no sordid, painful story behind it. I'm an expert swordsman. I received lessons from age ten, at my step-father's insistence and when I was barely learning, I made a bad move with my sensei. I've had this scar for about twenty-six years now. It faded only slightly, but it stubbornly stayed there."

Tifa smiled. "Well, I think it adds more character to your face." _Though you don't need it with those eyes_, she added inwardly.

"What about you? Any stories about you? Any scars you want to tell me about?" Zack asked her.

She thought for a moment and then nodded. "When I was eight, I lived in Nibleheim with my parents. My mother passed away there, and I had this insane notion that her spirit was waiting for me in Mt. Nible, so I set off to find her and be with her again. I was crossing a bridge when it collapsed under me and I fell."

Zack stared in astonishment. She had fallen off of a mountain? Wow, now he knew he had been destined to meet this woman. There was no way he was going to be happy being just her friend. But that was a problem for another time, right now he would listen intently.

"I was in a coma for a week. When I woke up, I had a scar right here," she said, running a finger along the left side of her hairline. He could faintly see the scar, but it was mostly hidden by her hair. "I don't know how I survived, but I like to think that my mother had been watching over me," she said with a faint smile. "Crazy, huh?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. She must have been watching over you in order for you to survive a fall and live to see another day," Zack replied. She gave him a thankful smile that nearly left Zack seeing stars, it was that amazing. Their food arrived and they ate and talked a little more about each other.

He learned that she was a cat lover, but couldn't have them because she and Denzel were both allergic. She loved to read history books as well as romance novels. It had taken her years to grow her hair to the length it was and she refused to cut anything except for the tips. She had a collection of porcelain dolls that had been her mother's favorites, and she personally loved stuffed rabbits.

Denzel had caused her nearly two days of labor, and he had gotten locked inside of a closet when he had been learning to walk while she searched for him frantically for nearly an hour. She had had a hard time finding him because he had decided to take a nap on some soft quilts that had been on the ground. Zack couldn't get enough of her and he wanted to know more, it was just a matter of her allowing him the chance to get to know her.

As for Tifa, she had learned that Zack was also a divorced man. He had been married for nearly two years when his wife had run off with an old friend of his. He had realized that though he had cared for her, he hadn't really loved her, since he hadn't grieved much over her betrayal. He had been in SOLDIER after leaving high school for nearly ten years before he had left with many honors. He had spent the last eight years studying various careers and had finally settled for being a career counselor at the high school they were working in now.

He had met Marlene's adoptive father in high school, and they had been friends with her real parents as well. He was actually her godfather, but they treated each other as uncle and niece and he loved the girl with all of his heart. He was honestly a dog person, and he owned a German-Shepherd named Buster; they ran together every morning and that was one of the reasons why he was in such great shape. He hadn't said that last part, but Tifa had thought it. His mother had passed away years before, and his father before her, but his stepfather was still there and was always willing to give him advice and help him when he needed it.

Tifa knew that there was attraction between them, but she really didn't want to rush into anything. She knew she was being a coward, but that was okay. She had to think about herself and her son. Also, Cloud had moved on, why couldn't she? She let out a sigh which he took the wrong way.

"I'm sorry. I must be boring you," Zack said with a rueful smile, taking a sip of his beverage and pushing away his empty plate.

Tifa laughed brightly. "Of course you're not!" she exclaimed. "But you see, we're not meant to be. You're a dog person, and I'm a cat person. We're just not compatible," she said playfully.

Zack smirked. "Well, technically, since you can't have a cat, you can't be a cat person," he offered with a wink.

"That's not fair!" Tifa replied, a smile curling at her lips. "But I guess you're right. Maybe I'll try life with a dog. Hopefully I'm not allergic to them. I've never had one so I don't really know."

Zack grinned. "Well, next time Buster knocks up one of his friends, I'll make sure to save a puppy for you," he said.

Tifa nodded. "You let your dog go around knocking up other dogs?" she asked with a raised eyebrow as they stood and he paid.

He shook his head. "No. But I have friends with other German-Shepherds who want purebred puppies. We compromise and they either pay me for borrowing my dog, or give me some puppies so that I can sell them or give them away to friends."

"Disturbing pastime, but I guess we all do strange things sometimes," said Tifa with a laugh.

"There's a demand for purebred dogs, I do what I can to help that along," he stated with a shrug. "But enough about dogs. Did you convince yourself that we can be more than friends?" he asked her as they walked towards his car.

Tifa thought about it for a moment and then sighed. "I really enjoyed tonight, but I need time, Zack. You're a great guy and you're so fun, but I don't know if I'm at that place yet."

"Even though the divorce was four years ago?" he asked gently.

She nodded. "I spent most of my life dedicated to Cloud. I can't help but wonder if he took the best years of my life. I just… I want to be sure that I'm ready, and I don't know that yet."

Zack smiled and took her hand to press a kiss to her knuckles. "Would you be opposed if I waited for you to be ready?" he asked her honestly.

Tifa looked at him and smiled again. She had been doing so much smiling throughout the night. "You would wait for me, no matter how long?"

"Well," he started. "I rather you make up your mind before I have the need to use a walking cane, but yes. You're an amazing woman and I do want to get to know you better."

"Okay, I don't have a problem with you waiting," she said as they stopped at the passenger door. He opened it for her and then got into the driver's side. The ride back to her place was a quiet but comfortable one. When they arrived at her home, he walked her to the door and really hoped that none of the boys in the house would walk out on them. He had one more chance to convince her to go on another date with him.

"I had fun tonight," Zack said to her as she walked up the steps in front of her door. It put her at a higher level from him, but he took one step that set them at the exact height of each other.

"I did too," Tifa said honestly. "I can't remember the last time I had fun like this. Which is really pathetic when you think about it," she said with a laugh.

Zack shook his head and grinned. "No, don't think that. It just means that you're a dedicated mother who spends most of her time with her son and at work. There's nothing pathetic about that. Besides, that's why I'm here now, to make you have some fun," he said brightly.

Tifa nodded, grinning. "I need more friends like you," she murmured.

Zack suddenly leaned forward and he saw her eyes widen slightly. Their lips were a hairsbreadth away from touching, and though she had told him over and over that she only wanted to be his friend, her heart was skipping a beat at the thought of him kissing her. Their lips brushed just barely in a chaste kiss before he drew back and smiled. "That's how friends kiss, you know," he said cockily.

She let out a laugh and shook her head. "I need to watch out with you," she admitted.

"Yes you do. But moving on… how about we go on another friends only date?" he asked lightly.

"I would love that," said Tifa, feeling her heart beat lighter than it had in a long time. "Denzel plays football on a team with his friends at a community center not far from here, two Sunday's every month. Parents are invited to go and Yuffie and I usually invite other parents to a barbeque afterwards. I don't think it would count as a friends date, but would you like to go?"

Zack smiled and nodded. Though he wouldn't be alone with her, he would be able to get a closer look at her relationship with her son and ex-husband outside of the school. He knew that the other man would be there, and he was honestly curious about him. "I would love to join you there. Just make sure to have plenty of hamburgers for me," he said with a grin.

Tifa laughed softly and nodded. "I'll make sure to tell Yuffie, since she's the one who will take care of the meat and other food. Now, goodnight Zack. Thank you so much for everything," she said as she unlocked the door and turned to look at him one more time.

Zack nodded and waved before he turned to walk back to his car and she shut the door. The night couldn't have gone better. He had gotten a kiss, no matter how chaste it had been, and a chance to see her again—because seeing her at school was a bonus, but it wasn't the same. He was happy and he would surely have very good dreams tonight.

Tifa for her part couldn't stop smiling as she walked into the living room and spotted all the young men sprawled on the many couches with warm blankets and pillows. Denzel was still awake and he walked her to the kitchen. "How was your date?" he asked with a grin.

Tifa smirked. "It wasn't really a date."

"Oh, stuff it ma, you know it's a date and you can't deny it. Just look at the smile on your face," he said with a snort. Then he became serious. "I don't want to burst your happiness bubble, but dad kept blowing up my cell, asking for you. He wanted you to call him as soon as you got home. He said he couldn't believe that you had left me alone to go off with a man you barely know."

"He said that, did he?" Tifa nearly seethed. And she had been in such a good mood. "Well, he is nothing of mine anymore, so he will have to wait until Monday if he wants to speak to me," she hissed. Then she let out a breath and kissed Denzel's forehead gently. "Get to sleep, sweetheart, and don't worry about me or your father," she said before she made her way to her room.

As Tifa changed into her sleeping clothes, she wondered what had gotten into Cloud. He had never worried about her this much when they had been together, why was he doing it now? He really did have no right to act this way. She liked Zack and from what she had learned about him tonight, she realized that she wanted to get to know more about him. He was already turning out to be a great friend and she was curious to know how he was romantically. Maybe she would get to know him on a few more _friends only _dates, and then she would decide if she was willing to go into a relationship with him.

Besides, no matter how chaste their kiss had been, her lips were still tingling.

* * *

Since there was so much positive feedback for the first chapter, I decided to write more! How was that for everyone? Am I still rushing it? So Tifa finally decided to allow Zack to date her, though she's still reluctant? The connection between them is there and there's more Zack sweetness to come. Don't worry though, Cloud is going to get his soon.

To answer DynastyWARRIORS question about Tifa's age, she would be about thirty-three, possibly thirty-four, since there are people who turn eighteen after graduation. As for Alyssa, I know that we're all thinking that he's in love with Tifa, but he's not. At least not yet. Zack is just being dramatic and all there is between them now is attraction, even though Tifa is a bit reluctant.

Also, I would like to point out that I am making Zack and Tifa have the same age difference they had in the actual game. When she was fifteen he was eighteen, so in the fic that would make Zack thirty-seven. I know it's kinda old for them, but they should be adults with many life experiences in order for the fic to work out. Thank you so much for your support once again, and I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'll try to update as soon as I can, but it may take a while for that, since I have other stuff I need to work on. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Joey


	3. First Date

**First Date**

* * *

The following Monday at lunch, Tifa felt like she had had a flashback to high school while she was telling Yuffie all about her _friends only_ date with Zack. She had seen him in the morning in passing only, and he had smiled and winked at her, making her almost run into a student, which had been beyond embarrassing. Thankfully, he had turned away before it had happened, and only the student had seen her small mortifying moment.

"And then, when I got home, Denzel told me that Cloud had been ringing up his cell phone, trying to get a hold of me. He even had the nerve to say that I had gone off with a man I don't know and I had left Denzel alone because of it," said Tifa as she took a sip of her orange juice.

Yuffie's eyes were narrowed angrily. "He has no right to do that! _He _left _you_ for Leviathan's sake," she spat. "Next time I see him I'm going to give him a piece of my mind."

Tifa shook her head. "Don't, Yuffie. I'm going to straighten him out once and for all the next time I see him. Who does he think he is? He's a married man now, and he's flipping out because I go on a date with a man. It's not like Denzel is a baby and I left him at home by himself and with the water running in the kitchen," Tifa hissed angrily.

Yuffie chortled and shook her head. "What you need to do is knock him out cold. Just bash his nose in to make him see that you're not to be trifled with," she said as she closed the empty containers that had held her food and moved on to a fruit salad.

"I can't do that," said Tifa with a sigh. "He's still the father of my son and I _don't_ want to hurt him."

"Whatever," said Yuffie,rollingher eyes. She nudged Tifa as she saw Zack walking towards their table, Sephiroth not far behind.

"Hey there, friend," said Zack as he leaned next to Tifa and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

She smiled and blushed, ignoring Yuffie's raised eyebrows. "Hello, Zack. How are you doing today?" she asked.

"I'm doing great. Would you mind if Sephiroth and I join you?" he asked her. Though he loved to aggravate his best friend, he knew better than to call him 'Seph' while they were in public and at the school.

"Have a seat," said Tifa quickly, placing her lunch containers in the lunch bag to make room for the two men.

"How are you, Tifa? Ms. Kisaragi?" Sephiroth said in that polite tone of his.

"I'm doing great, thank you," said Tifa, ignoring the wink Zack was giving her.

"I am too, and just call me Yuffie. There's no need for formality when we're among friends, right?" she asked with a grin.

Sephiroth just nodded and returned her smile with a half smirk. He turned to watch Zack and Tifa and realized that both looked like they were going through their first crushes all over again. Tifa really couldn't hide the blush, and neither could Zack hide the little stars in his eyes every time he looked at her. Sephiroth's green eyes slid to the other side of the teachers lounge and moved over the blond man and the brunette woman sitting next to him. She was eating peacefully, while Strife's eyes were on his ex-wife and the man next to her. The silver-haired man looked away with a frown and filed away that piece of information for the right moment. Both he and Yuffie watched their close friends in amusement as they talked and flirted and laughed about their _friends only_ date.

"We should get going," said Tifa as she and Yuffie stood. The men stood with them. "It was so great for you two to join us. We should do this more often," said Tifa as she and Zack walked towards the door, swinging her lunch bag slightly.

"Teef, call me after you get out class so that we can continue our talk," said Yuffie with a grin. "Sephiroth, Zack, it was a great pleasure to have you two sit with us today. I have to run and get a pop quiz ready for my class," she said evilly, walking off to her classroom.

"Fair, don't hold up the lady from her job too long," said Sephiroth, squeezing Tifa's arm slightly before he walked away too.

"How do you know Seph? I keep getting the vibe that you guys have known each other for far longer than you've been here at the school," said Zack as he walked her down the hallway and towards her classroom.

"He's an old friend," Tifa confirmed. "I met him years ago. Before their high school years started, Denzel and Kadaj were good friends too. They would have playdates since their toddler years, but I think that they drifted apart when they turned ten," she said with a sad sigh. They had been great friends, but Kadaj had always been a boy who enjoyed his solitude more than anything.

"Poor kid, the absence of his mother did a number on him and Seph. I wish I knew who she was," Zack said absently. Then he smiled and turned to Tifa. "It was good seeing you Tifa. I'm sorry I couldn't stop to talk in the morning, but I was late and on the run before anybody noticed it," he said.

Tifa laughed softly. "Don't worry about it. I would've been worried if you ignored me all day," she admitted.

Zack stopped her and stared into her eyes, noting how the light shining in from the windows brought out the red flecks and made the mahogany orbs look like the best red wine he had ever seen—and tasted. Tifa looked away from him and cleared her throat nervously. "I would never ignore someone like you," he told her honestly.

Tifa smiled and felt her heart skip a beat at his words. Though she was still having her doubts, she couldn't help but admit that the way Zack treated her and looked at her was winning her over. Her first boyfriend had been a sweetheart, but older than her, and she had been an inexperienced seventeen-year-old. Her second boyfriend had been Cloud, and though he'd had his moments, the dolt knew very little of romance. She wondered how Aerith had been able to put up with it, since she had been a romantic at heart from a very young age. "I have to get going too," said Tifa. "Will I see you at the game this Sunday?"

Zack nodded. "You can count on it. What time should I be there?"

"The game starts at one in the afternoon," said Tifa. "See you later, Zack," she said before she began to walk away.

"See you later, Tifa," he replied before she rounded the corner. He let out a heavy sigh and smiled to himself. He didn't want to be in love with her so fast, but he realized that he was getting there with every word and every smile they exchanged. He just hoped that she was following the same path too.

Tifa for her part couldn't stop smiling. It really did seem to her that ever since she had met Zack, there was always a smile on her face. The smile died from her face when she saw who was waiting for her at the door of her classroom. "I don't have time for this," she snapped, searching for her keys. The door to Yuffie's room was closed, otherwise Tifa knew that her friend would've cursed Cloud like a sailor.

"Tifa, don't be this way," said Cloud. "Why didn't you call me on Saturday?" he asked in annoyance.

"I had nothing to say to you, but now I do," said Tifa, abandoning her search in the maze that was her purse. "Stay out of my life Cloud, I'm not going to tell you that again. I like him and he likes me, and we're getting to know each other. You left me to marry Aerith; you have no right to give me grief over the men that I see after you and I got a divorce," she whispered angrily. "If you don't stay out of my life, I will talk to Aerith and see if maybe _she_ can knock some sense into your thick skull."

Cloud's eyes narrowed. "This is between you and me. There's no reason to bring my wife into this," he said darkly.

Tifa nodded. "So long as you leave me alone, we'll leave her out of this."

"Tifa," Cloud started in a low voice. "I worry about you because you're the mother of my son. I don't want to see you get hurt more than what I hurt you," he said softly, closing some of the distance between them.

The brunette felt slightly nervous at his proximity, but did not show it. "I told you before, Cloud. I'm not yours to worry about anymore," she said seriously. "I gave you my life… and you didn't want it. I'm moving on."

Before she could get out another word, he had closed the distance and kissed her. Tifa drew back in shock, but he wouldn't release her and she began to struggle until she shoved him off of her. Before she knew it, her hand had connected with his cheek and there was an angry handprint on her face. For a moment, neither of them could believe that he had kissed her, but Tifa's breath was coming fast and she felt so angry.

"How dare you do that to me?" she asked, feeling her eyes water. She hadn't cried in years, since her divorce to him had been finalized, but she just couldn't believe that he would do that to his wife, and to her. "Stay away from me, Cloud. I don't ever want you to touch me again," she said before she stormed away from her classroom and from Cloud, who was speechless.

He himself couldn't believe what he had just done. Tifa had had a right to knock his damned head off, but he was thankful that she hadn't. He ran a hand over his face and felt the urge to scream in frustration. What in the hell was he feeling? Why couldn't he just leave her alone? She was right. He had left her for Aerith. He had to live with his decisions.

As Cloud argued with himself over how stupid he was and how he would make it up to Tifa, he was unaware that Oren had been on his way to find his mother to ask her something when he had stumbled upon Denzel's parents. He had seen the kiss and then the slap, and Denzel needed to know about it.

Tifa was trying her damnest not to cry, but she just couldn't believe that Cloud had done that to her. He had no right. _He had no right._ He was a married man. He had preferred another woman to her, and he had left. He just couldn't do this to her now. She and Aerith may not have been friends anymore, but Tifa respected the other woman and her marriage. As she sniffled to herself and thanked the school system for the hour long lunch they were given, but she was unaware that she was being watched.

"Why the tears?" asked Sephiroth as he took a seat next to her on the stone bench she was occupying.

Tifa looked at him and managed a sad smile. "My ex-husband keeps screwing with my life. He just doesn't know when to let go," she murmured, smiling slightly when he offered her a handkerchief. She dried her tears and looked at him.

"I'm sorry to tell you this Tifa, but Cloud was the worst decision you ever made," said the silver-haired man.

"Don't say that," she replied. "I have my son thanks to him. Besides, I remember that there was someone before him who didn't take the chance to stay with me," she said with a little grin.

Sephiroth smirked and ran a thumb across her cheek where there was still a tear standing. "We weren't meant to be, Tifa. But sometimes I do wish I would've tried harder to be with you. Maybe Kadaj and Denzel would be ours, and we would be happy."

"Should've, would've, could've," Tifa said with a small laugh. Sephiroth nodded and took her hand in his, squeezing lightly. "What ever happened to Kadaj's mother? Did you ever see her again?"

He nodded. "She works here," he admitted. At her wide eyes and questioning look, he shook his head. "But she is not Kadaj's mother in any way. She left us and never looked back. She has no right to even speak to either of us."

"We all make mistakes, Seph, and your son has a right to know who his mother is," said Tifa quietly.

"Kadaj hates her," Sephiroth replied. "He wants nothing to do with her. I asked him once if he wanted to meet her, and he said no. He's going through a rough few years, as many others his age. I don't want to make his life even worse. He'll tell me when he's ready to know more about her."

Tifa decided to drop the subject. It wasn't her place to comment or ask anymore. "We've been too screwed over in life, Seph. We deserve better," she said, squeezing his hand a little.

Her old friend smirked and nodded. "You're getting your better right now," he said. "Zack—though he makes my life a living hell at times—is a good man. He's been screwed in life too, but he's still smiling. I think he's been in love with you from the moment you two met."

Tifa laughed and shook her head. "I like him too, Seph. But my relationship with Cloud taught me to take things slow. I won't ever rush into a relationship again. Zack has been very patient with me up until now, and I appreciate it very much," she said.

"Well, I wish you luck then, in your quest to finding something better than your ex-husband," he said to her.

"You too. Don't let a bad relationship stop you from finding someone to share your life with. You're a handsome man and you deserve to be happy too," said Tifa as she ran her fingers through the silky tips of his long hair.

They both stood and Tifa hugged him around the middle. She had forgotten how good Sephiroth's hugs had always been. He was so tall and could wrap his arms completely around her, but she pulled away quicker than she would've liked. She didn't need any rumors starting around school about her and the dean, especially when her interests were suddenly revolving around a dark haired, blue eyed man.

* * *

"Denz, please, I didn't tell you so that you could go and cause a scene with your dad," said Oren worriedly as he followed his best friend down the hallway and towards Cloud's classroom.

"You told me for a reason. Now, you're sure that my mom didn't do it willingly, right?" asked Denzel.

Oren nodded his dark head. "She even slapped him after she broke free. But come on, this is their business, you shouldn't interfere!" he told his friend.

Denzel stopped and turned to Oren, who was only a few inches taller than him. "He has no right to do this to my mom. She's actually dating a guy who makes her smile and feel happy. My dad can't think that he can leave her and have her whenever he wants," he said before he began to storm down the hallway again.

Oren just let out a heavy sigh and regretted ever telling his best friend about what he had just seen transpire between his parents. He didn't know why Denzel hated his dad so much. He understood about the abandonment issues and all, but Cloud had always been there from the beginning. Oren wasn't complaining, his mother was the world to him, but he wished that his father would've stayed. He knew that his old man didn't even know he existed, but he didn't know what he would do if he ever did come back. He'd seen images of him and his mother, and they actually made a good couple, he couldn't help but wonder why his father had left. He cringed when Denzel moved into his father's classroom, and was thankful that the bell had yet to ring.

"Why'd you do it, dad?" asked Denzel angrily.

Cloud looked up from his book and frowned at his son. "What are you talking about?"

"Why did you kiss mom when you know that it's not what she wants? When you know that you're a married man?"

"Denzel…" Cloud started, feeling his stomach plummet to his feet now that Denzel knew about what had happened between him and Tifa. "It's not what you think… I wasn't thinking clearly—"

Denzel cut him off in anger. "You want to know why I hate you so much? Well, this is it. You don't care about how you screw me and mom over as long as it suits _your_ purposes. You're a selfish bastard and sometimes I wish that you weren't my dad!"

"Denz…" Oren said quietly from behind him.

"No, Oren. Don't say anything. Yeah, he's been there my whole life, but what does it matter when he makes my mom cry and think that maybe she wasn't a good enough wife? He left us to be with this other woman and now he thinks he can come back and mess with my mom's head? I don't think so," said Denzel.

"That's enough!" Cloud said darkly, standing and glaring at the younger man. "You are a child that still doesn't understand _anything_ about what goes on around him. I made a mistake today and I deeply regret it, but you have to respect me only for the reason that I am your father. Hate me all you want, but I will not have you speaking to me that way," he said angrily.

Denzel gave him a defiant look. "Leave mom alone. If she wants to date this man, then let her. Don't call my phone and demand to talk to her as soon as she gets home. Don't make her seem like she's a bad mother only because she's gone out for a few hours to have some fun. She hasn't seen anyone since you left her, and she has every right to go out with who she wants. Keep interfering dad, and I'll never speak to you again," he said, staring into eyes of the same shade of blue as his.

Oren felt bad once again for opening his big mouth and followed Denzel out of the classroom when the bell for their next class rang loud. He eyed his friend for a moment, but Denzel was still fuming and he knew better than to try to talk to him when he was in one of his moods. As they approached their next class, they spotted Marlene waiting for them outside.

"I'll be inside," Oren said before walking into the room.

Marlene noticed something was wrong with Denzel almost instantly. Living with her father and sometimes her uncle Zack had made her intuitive when concerning the male gender. "Are you okay?" she asked in concern.

Denzel nodded once and let out a deep breath. "Fine," he said evasively. He looked into Marlene's sweet eyes and felt guilty, as if he were blowing her off somehow. "I just had a fight with my dad. He did something to my mom and I just told him a bunch of things."

"Do you feel guilty?" she asked softly.

"A little, but I meant most of what I said to him," he admitted.

Marlene touched his cheek and smiled, trying not to blush as his eyes met hers again. She moved forward with a bit of hesitance, and felt her heart skip a beat when he moved towards her too. The hallway was almost clear of students, and that meant that the tardy bell would soon ring, but she wanted to see that moment through. Then she couldn't think because Denzel's lips were on hers, gentle and sweet and it was the best kiss ever, never mind the fact that it was her first.

If her father saw her now, he would kill Denzel and then lock her up in a convent. He wasn't strict with her, but he sure was overprotective. It didn't matter though, she would die a happy death after this. Denzel for his part was trying very hard to not ruin the moment with a wrong move. He really liked Marlene, and this kiss was nothing like past little pecks from other girls that had always wanted his attention. His thoughts were far from his argument with his dad and for that he was deeply thankful. They broke the kiss and looked at each other, their cheeks pink.

"We're going to be late," said Marlene with a shy smile.

"Yeah," Denzel replied. "You'll still sit with me, right?"

Marlene nodded and smiled before they walked into the classroom right as the tardy bell rang. Denzel smiled to himself. His day was getting better already.

* * *

Tifa hadn't realized how much she had been waiting to see Zack until she spotted him walking past the office building of the community center. The rest of the week had flown by and now it was the weekend. She hadn't heard anything more from Cloud since their little episode, and for that she was thankful, though she knew that he would arrive at the game soon enough. He hadn't missed one so far, even when he and Denzel were mad at each other.

Her son had told her all about the argument he and Cloud had had after the forced kiss. Though she didn't want an even bigger rift to exist between Denzel and Cloud, she had been thankful that he had defended her so passionately. She loved her son deeply but she didn't want her animosity with Cloud to interfere with their father-son relationship. She put thoughts of Cloud aside and continued to watch Zack as he approached her.

He was in a tight black t-shirt that was almost pulled tightly against his wide shoulders and muscled arms and baggy jeans. He looked so much better in casual clothing than he did in his dressy clothes, but then again, she had been born and raised in a small town, so she hadn't been used to fancy things. At least, not until her father had made them move to Edge and had gotten himself a good paying job. Though he had always had the money for them to live comfortably, she hadn't changed much in her taste, but she had learned to appreciate what her father gave her. Putting her thoughts aside, she kept staring at Zack amd she would've managed to play off her mouth hanging slightly open had Yuffie not chosen that moment to elbow her in the ribs.

"Oww!" Tifa hissed, glaring at her best friend.

"Teef, I was about to grab a cup so that you wouldn't drool on your shoes. Play it cool," muttered Yuffie with a grin.

Though it hadn't been the best way to grab Tifa's attention, she _was _thankful that Yuffie had prevented her from looking like a fool. She grinned as Zack came to a stop in front of her. "I'm glad you could make it," she murmured, trying not to blush. She was in her thirties for crying out loud, she shouldn't be blushing at her age.

"I wouldn't miss a chance of being with my new best friend for an entire afternoon," he said with a grin, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and walking her towards the field, where all the teenage boys were getting ready to start their game. "Just don't tell Seph that I said that you're my new best friend. He's held the position for about twenty years now."

"Twenty years? Wow," breathed Tifa, though she and Yuffie were almost at that point in time as well. She had known Sephiroth years before, but she had never really heard much about Zack. He had always been referred to as the friend that was currently in SOLDIER. "Did you know that Sephiroth's son is on this team too?" she asked as she placed her arm around his waist, almost unaware that she was actually doing it.

Zack realized it at the moment, and if she decided to touch his ass, he would totally kiss her senseless, regardless of who else was watching. "Actually, Seph told me about his kid joining the team recently, but he didn't tell me that your son was in it too. Maybe he doesn't know yet. I think his boy is on a rebellious streak and they're not communicating so well," he said with a sigh. "I've known that kid since he was a baby and I don't want him and Seph to be mad at each other."

"So you met Kadaj's mother? Do you know who she is?" she asked curiously.

Zack shook his head. "Though Seph and I have been friends for years, we split for a few when I joined SOLDIER. We only communicated through letters for about three years, and he only mentioned his kid. He never spoke about the mother, or why she wasn't with them. That subject is taboo and I learned not to talk about it with him the hard way. All I know is that she left and never came back."

Tifa let out a small sigh and ignored the raised eyebrows Denzel was giving her. In retaliation, she looked over to Marlene, who was standing next to him and chatting about something. Denzel blushed and turned to the girl so that he didn't have to look at his mother anymore. As they took a seat on the bleachers, Yuffie walked over to sit on her other side and a few minutes later, Sephiroth arrived and sat next to Zack. Various other parents were also arriving and taking their seats, but Tifa felt her smile wilt slightly when she saw Cloud and Aerith arrive.

His eyes met with hers and she looked away from him. She hadn't quite forgiven him for what he had done, even though Denzel had told her that he had admitted to making a mistake and that he regretted it. She just wondered if he had told Aerith about what he had done, but judging by the sweet smile ever present on her face, it was obvious that he hadn't. Her smile returned when Marlene walked over to take a seat next to Yuffie.

"Hey Marley," said Zack from where he was sitting. "Does your dad know that you're here watching a boy?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Marlene blushed and Tifa slapped Zack's knee. "Shush, and leave her alone," said Tifa. "How about you just explain to me whether my son is winning or not?" she asked him. "I never did understand what football was all about."

"Same here," muttered Yuffie as she watched her son take his position as the game began.

All three females understood very little about what was going on, even as Zack tried to narrate and explain what the moves meant and how points were won. Sephiroth just rolled his eyes at Zack's antics and watched the game in silence. Though his relationship with Kadaj was on rocky ground at the moment, he knew his son always expected him to be there, and he always would be, too. Kadaj only had him, and he would always provide as best he could for the boy, even when he was at his worst.

A little more than two hours later, the whistle was blown and the game was over. "We won!" cheered Zack as he and the rest of the parents of the time stood to cheer their kids on. He took advantage of the moment and wrapped Tifa in his arms, giving her a good squeeze. They had a moment of staring into each others eyes again, but she just smiled and pushed away from him to hug Yuffie, who was cheering for her son and Denzel rather loudly.

"Come on guys, lets congratulate the boys and then we'll go have lunch," she said as she took Zack's hand and pulled him along. Zack just looked at Sephiroth smugly, who rolled his eyes at his dark haired friend. The smug look became positively evil as he and Tifa passed right in front of Cloud and his wife. Tifa came to a stop in front of Denzel and would've hugged him, but he was filled with dirt and a little bit of mud all over. "Oh honey, congratulations. Your first game of the season is won!" she said happily.

"Thanks mom, hey Zack!" Denzel said with a grin.

"Congrats man, that was one hell of a game. Unfortunately I couldn't watch more than half of it because I was trying to explain to your mom here on how the game goes," said Zack with a grin.

Denzel chuckled. "Yeah, I've tried explaining too, but she just doesn't get it," he said, eyeing his mother and dodging the smack aimed at his head.

"Where's my little itty-bitty baby?" They all heard Yuffie saying to her son as he pulled off his helmet. She tried to smooth down his haphazard hair, but Oren dodged away from her and moved off towards Reno.

"Let the boy be, Kisaragi," said Reno with a grin, patting his own son on the shoulder. "They're men, not babies."

Yuffie just smirked and waited for the teens to move off towards the showers. "I think I remember a certain someone enjoying it when I call him baby," she said in a low voice.

Reno moved away from his best friend Rude and moved to stand behind Yuffie. "Yeah, I like that. But I love it when you call me daddy more," he said with a smirk.

Yuffie just smiled before she pulled Tifa along to start getting the food ready. Zack and Sephiroth followed them, but not before Zack noticed a look pass between Seph and Cloud's woman. He frowned to himself and reminded himself to ask his friend what that was all about later. His priority now was spending as much time as possible with Tifa.

He sat at one of the picnic tables under a huge tree that gave of fresh shade and watched Tifa as she talked and laughed with the other mothers. She did all the cooking with ease and the smells coming from the barbecue grill were amazing. He watched Tifa move about, flipping several things in short succession and with a very small fork in his opinion. Then she would stop to talk to her friend Yuffie or to some of the teenage boys who were surrounding her, trying to get some food. She would shoo them away with a smile and tell them to come back in five more minutes.

"Can't hide the fact that you like her," said Marlene as she sat next to him.

Zack smiled at his baby girl and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to kiss her forehead. "It's not like I want to hide that fact," he said with a grin. "How's your old man?" he asked.

"Working hard on those oil rigs. They're bringing in money but I would prefer it if he were home more," she admitted.

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. All the things he does are for you, to give you the best in the world," said Zack. He smirked when her eyes moved to Denzel as he exited the locker room with his teammates and friends. "Look who's talking about liking someone."

Marlene blushed and shook her head. "I… I just think he's a nice guy," she said in embarrassment.

"Right. And all I want is for Tifa to be my best friend," said Zack with a snort.

"Did I hear my name?" Tifa asked as she walked over to them.

"I'll go get something to eat," said Marlene with a smile before she moved away to leave them alone.

"I didn't mean to make her leave," said Tifa as she watched the girl go. She had seen them look so cute together. She wondered why Zack hadn't had any children with his ex-wife, but she wasn't about to ask him that yet. It was too personal for them still.

"I think she's in a hurry to congratulate your son," Zack said as she sat down next to him.

"Though I think that Denzel is still too young for a girlfriend, I can't deny that they look cute together. I have to meet her father sometime soon," she said as they both watched Marlene hug Denzel, much to the hooting of his friends.

Zack took a swig of his favorite brand of soda and looked at Tifa quietly. In the sun her hair and eyes seemed to shine more, and he was mesmerized by her beauty, and not for the first time. He moved a hand forward and pushed some of her bangs behind her ear so that they weren't in her eyes again. Tifa looked at him and gave him a smile.

"I've been thinking for a few days now," she started as he looked at her expectantly. "I don't know if I'm doing the right thing, but I _really_ want it to be the right thing."

"You're not making any sense, sweetheart," he said to her.

Tifa felt her heart skip a beat at the endearment and looked into his amazing eyes. "I know I'm not. It's just that… I'm really nervous, and when I'm nervous I tend to ramble." She let out a deep breath. "I… want us to go on our first official date," she said finally.

Zack sat up straighter and looked at her with a grin. "You're not joking with me, are you?"

She shook her head and leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek. "Of course not. But, since this would be our first date as something more than friends, I expect romance," she said with a grin.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Of course I'll give you romance. Be sure to wear something pretty," he said.

Tifa nodded. "You want to get that hamburger before the ravenous wolves known as teenagers beat you to it?" she asked as she stood.

Zack nodded and followed her. He could confidently say that he was the happiest man present. Never mind the look Strife was shooting him and Tifa, or the fact that Sephiroth was looking at him in amusement. He was like an irritating big brother, even though he was a few months older. No one but Tifa mattered, though, and he would make their date one to remember.

* * *

After a week of anticipation and of wondering whether he would be taking her to the right place, Zack finally found himself standing at Tifa's door for their first official date. They had shared lunch almost the entire week at school, and whenever he could, he had found the chance to see her between classes and after school.

He knocked on the door twice and waited patiently. Denzel answered and gave him a scrutinizing look. "Try not to drool too much when you see her," he said with a smirk.

"I'll try," Zack said with a grin as Denzel opened the door wider to let his mother through. He tried, he really did try to not look like an idiot as she came through the door, but he couldn't help himself. The woman was hot. She was wearing a very modestly cut black dress, but it hugged her slim waist and hips perfectly before flaring slightly from the hips down. The _very _pleasant surprise came when she turned to kiss Denzel on the forehead and he caught a glimpse of the low cut back of the dress. The reason why he could see all the skin was that her long hair was pulled to one side by a butterfly shaped hair clip. How would he be able to keep his hands to himself all night?

"See you later, sweetie," Tifa said to Denzel before she stepped out.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Denzel called before he shut the door.

"Was that a warning?" Zack asked Tifa with a smirk.

"I don't know," she admitted as he helped her into the car.

As he drove, they spoke about the week, and how her class was and how the teens were deciding on what college to attend. They both loved their jobs much, so the conversation was far from boring. Soon enough they arrived at a restaurant towards the outside of Edge that had tables inside the building as well as out in the open and a dance floor surrounded by little lights that gave it a romantic air.

Tifa let Zack opened the door for her as the valet took the car and she wrapped her arm around his as they walked into the restaurant. They were seated outside at a nice, small table with a candle in the center. There was romantic music playing for the couples on the dance floor and Tifa couldn't wait to see if Zack knew how to dance.

The waiter took their orders for drinks and food and then left them alone to enjoy the scenery. The restaurant was close to a river and the moon was full, adding to the view. "This is nice," Tifa said to Zack.

"I'm glad you like it, and might I add that you look beautiful tonight?" he asked, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

Tifa smiled and was happy that she had taken the chance to go on a real date with him. So far, she wasn't disappointed. He looked handsome in a black suit with a dark red shirt and no tie. But she was right, Zack managed to look good in anything. The waiter brought over a bottle of their best wine and served it to them. Though she wasn't used to drinking, the wine slid down her throat gently and left a nice taste in her mouth. By the time their food was served the wine was giving her a fuzzy feeling that she was thoroughly enjoying, but she didn't want it to go to her head. She didn't want to get drunk on her first real date with a man in four years.

"Care to dance?" Zack asked her as waited for her to finish her food.

Tifa nodded and took his offered hand as he led her to the dance floor. He took one of her hands in his and placed the other at the small of her back, pressing warm fingers against her bare skin.

Feeling him so close to her was doing funny things to her chest. She really did like Zack and as time passed, she was realizing that she could potentially fall in love with him. Even Denzel was cooperating when it came to Zack, and her son had always been of the suspicious towards other men type.

Zack tried not to shiver as he felt Tifa's soft breath against his neck. The feel of Tifa in his arms was driving him crazy and he knew that before the night was over he would try to kiss her. He just hoped that she allowed him to, otherwise he didn't know if he would still have the patience to keep waiting for her. He had never felt this way about any woman, not even about his ex-wife, but he liked it. He liked Tifa and knew that if things kept going the way they were, he would end up falling head over heels for her. He'd never been interested in having kids of his own, and though Tifa had one of her own, he saw it as an added bonus. He liked Denzel too, especially how protective he was of Tifa. He was a good son.

"Zack?" she asked softly, angling her head so that their eyes could meet.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Are you going to kiss me any time soon?"

His stunning blue eyes widened slightly and he smiled. "Do you want me to?"

Tifa parted her lips to reply, but then his mouth was against hers and the words died in her throat. Really now, it wasn't fair that he had caught her off guard, but she wasn't complaining. For a moment it felt like she was floating, but the wine, coupled with Zack's taste and the scent of his cologne was making her lightheaded. When he drew back, he pressed a kiss against the corner of her mouth and smiled as her dark lashes fluttered against his cheek.

"How was that?" he murmured, his lips still savoring her taste.

Tifa smiled and nodded. "That will do."

He let out a deep chuckle that almost made her swoon, as exaggerated as it sounded, but she refrained, lest she make a fool of herself in the middle of the dance floor. "Be my girlfriend," Zack whispered as he kissed her jaw lightly.

"I think we're moving a bit fast for that," she murmured as they kept moving around the dance floor. They moved fluidly and almost automatically, but the moves were slow and unhurried.

Zack sighed and nodded, leaning his cheek against her temple. "I guess you're right."

"But that doesn't mean that we can't keep dating and… kissing," she offered with a blush.

Zack twirled her before kissing her again as she giggled against his lips. Could his life get any better?

* * *

Awww, how was that for a first date? I hope they aren't moving too fast again, but I like the way things are going and the type of relationship they're having.

To answer Alyde's question about Tifa's hair, no it's not as long as it was in FFVII. We'll just say that it's a little longer than her hair in Advent Children. I say it's taken her a while to grow it because it's taken me forever to get it to the small of my back. I haven't gotten a haircut in a while, so my hair is longer than it's ever been. To Alyssa, yes and no. Reno and Yuffie only have a physical type of relationship at this moment, and they're both happy with it being that way. If my penname wasn't an indication, I'm a strong Vincent/Yuffie supporter, so expect him to make an appearance in either the next chapter, or the one afterwards. Also to moogle in paradaisu, you're such a perve, but aren't we all? Just have patience and maybe sometime soon Zack and Tifa will be naked. I _will_ be changing the rating later on, so everyone beware.

Moving on, so many hate Cloud and Aerith together, but so much animosity is directed towards Cloud! I love him as a character and paired with Tifa too, but I think everyone is going to end up hating him in this story. I'm not doing it on purpose, and though I said that I would never write Aerith, I will be trying something with her in this fic, so expect that. Another thing, I had many readers question if Aerith is Zack's ex. For now I can't clear anything up because it's part of the plot, so I'm sorry that I have to leave you guys in the dark for the moment. Next chapter will have many developments, so don't miss it! Sorry about the extra long author's note and I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Joey

P.S. Ignore the typos and grammatical errors for the moment!


	4. Revelations

**Revelations**

* * *

The following Monday at school, Tifa was in a very good mood. More of Zack's flowers had arrived during her break between her first two classes and had been accompanied by a short card that said that he looked forward to spending more time kissing her. As she sat there at her desk, daydreaming of the guy she had a huge crush on, there was a knock at her open door. She looked up and smiled when she saw Sephiroth standing there. He looked slightly disgruntled and a little bit angry.

"Hey, how can I help you?" Tifa asked as she stood and walked over to him. That was when she spotted the silver-haired teen standing behind him. Though she had seen the boy at the game, he had refused to socialize with anyone, and that had resulted in him and Sephiroth leaving early. "Hello, Kadaj," she said politely.

"How are you Tifa?" asked Sephiroth when his son just shrugged and tried to ignore them.

"I'm fine, and you?" she asked, eyes darting to the annoyed young face. He was a very attractive boy, with most of Sephiroth's looks, including his silver hair which was cut to his chin and hid one eye, and the same color of his skin. His eyes were a different more familiar shade of green. Where had she seen his eyes before?

"I am doing good as well. Kadaj here has been having problems with his English teacher, and I wanted to know if you would be willing to take him into your class. I know it's late, but he still has time to catch up and not fail the semester," said Sephiroth, eyeing his son.

"Sure, he can join. We're learning about Oedipus right now," said Tifa with a grin. "Did you know that he killed his father and married his mother?" she asked, scrunching up her nose in disgust.

Sephiroth smirked and waited for his son to say something, but the rude little idiot merely rolled his eyes and shrugged again. "Imagine marrying your own mother?" he asked Kadaj.

"My mom was a whore who abandoned us at the first chance," Kadaj spat. Tifa just blinked in shock but her attention was diverted to Aerith, who was standing right behind Kadaj as he said those words. "No woman who abandons her own blood is worthy of being happy. I just hope she's dead," he continued with a sneer.

Now, Tifa had always been a very observant person. The look on Aerith's face was not normal, nor was the fact that Sephiroth had just lost a little bit of color to his face. But what Tifa was now imagining was too farfetched to even consider! She parted her lips—foolishly—to ask, but Sephiroth shook his head and shushed her with those cat-like green eyes, confirming her suspicions. She knew now why Kadaj's green eyes seemed so familiar.

"Kadaj, why don't you wait in the classroom for class to start? You can start reading today's assignment before everyone else. Besides, the bell will ring in about five minutes," Tifa offered, still in disbelief.

"Whatever," muttered Kadaj before walking into the classroom.

Tifa turned back to see if Aerith was still there, but she was long gone. She looked at her old friend instead. "Oh, you have a lot of explaining to do," she said softly. "How about I see you at my house after school?" she asked.

Sephiroth fought down a scowl. He had always been impervious to the whims of the women he had dated, but Tifa had always been the exception. There was just something dangerous about her puny fists and that fiery look in her mahogany eyes. "Fine. I will drop off Kadaj at home and then I will go see you," he said after a moment of staring each other down.

"Good, now if you'll excuse me, I have some assignments to grade," she said before she walked into her room and sat at her desk again.

Sephiroth just sighed and walked away without another word. He just hoped that his son didn't make her life a living hell with his rebellion. He knew Tifa, and if there was anyone who could get through to the boy, it would be her.

Tifa for her part was still reeling after what she had just found out. Seph had kept this a secret for so long and he had been careful so that no one found out. Then in one second of being at the wrong place at the wrong time for Aerith, Tifa had found out something that no one else knew. She looked up at Kadaj as he read his book in the farthest seat from the front. Poor child, she understood what it was to grow up without a mother, but to know that she had abandoned you willingly must have been ten times worse. She could understand why he behaved the way he did, but he needed someone to help him, and if she could, she would.

* * *

The day at school had been a long one, and Tifa was exhausted mentally. Her little brats had been more immature than usual, but they had at least cooperated with her and had followed her directions. She hadn't seen Zack all day, but he had asked her if he could come over after school to spend some time with her. Of course she had accepted, but as she toed off her shoes and changed into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt two sizes too big, she remembered that Sephiroth would be coming over to talk to her about Kadaj's mother.

Denzel passed her in the hall as she made her way downstairs. "I left a pizza bagel thing for you on the kitchen counter," he said before he walked into his room.

Tifa grinned. Sometimes she felt as if their positions were reversed and he was the dad and she was the teen. "Thanks Denz. Are you working on your homework yet?"

"Yes ma'am!" he called before he turned on his music system.

How he could do his homework with all that noise on and get A's was beyond Tifa, but she had seen the report cards and she knew that he was one of the best students of his year. As she pulled her long hair into a ponytail, she walked over to get a glass of cool water. Just as she was about to have a sip, the doorbell rang and she walked over to get the door. She smiled slightly when she saw that Sephiroth was there, looking calm, and a bit relaxed with the first few buttons of his dress shirt undone.

"I'm glad you could make it. Come on in," she said, opening the door wider. "Do you want something to drink?" she asked.

Sephiroth nodded and walked with her to the kitchen. "Water would be fine. Is there somewhere we can talk where your son will not hear us?" he asked Tifa.

She poured him his water and nodded. "Sure. We can go sit outside, since the weather is still warm. I have some really comfortable chairs further back," she said as she took her bagel and water and walked with him outside. "Denzel is upstairs, doing his homework with the music blaring. I can't understand how he gets good grades when he does his work like that."

"That's very interesting. I, for one, can't do my work without some type of background noise on either. I don't know why, but things are completely quiet, I can't concentrate," he admitted as they walked to the cushioned chairs under a large umbrella and next to a round table.

They sat there for a moment in silence, neither one knowing how to begin their conversation. Finally Tifa couldn't stand it any longer. "How can you stand working with her?" she asked.

Sephiroth sighed and took a drink of his water. "I have no choice. I didn't think she would start working there, but I also do not believe that she knew that Kadaj and I were there either."

Tifa was burning with curiosity and though she had resolved to not ask questions, she wanted to know about her friend's situation. "What happened between the two of you? Why isn't she with Kadaj?"

"We met after you and I broke up. From the moment I saw her, I knew there was something about her that drew me in. She trapped me and had me in the palm of her hand, but I knew that I wasn't the one she wanted to be with. I found an image of your group of friends, with her arms around your ex-husband, and though I didn't ask questions, I knew that he was the one she thought of all the time. Then she got pregnant of Kadaj."

"Did she even want him?" Tifa asked with a frown.

"She had never wanted to get pregnant and she didn't take the news of a child the way any other normal woman would. She wanted to end the pregnancy from the beginning, but I didn't let her," Sephiroth said darkly.

Tifa couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Did she at least take care of herself?"

He nodded. "At least that. I thought that maybe as Kadaj grew inside her, she would change her mind, but she began to draw away from me. She took care of herself, ate what she had to eat, went to every appointment on time, and she even bought things for Kadaj." Sephiroth took another sip of his water and his eyes became cold in their green intensity. "But she didn't want to be a part of his life. She just disappeared, leaving behind a note that said that she was afraid of screwing up Kadaj's life. She said that she didn't want to hurt either of us, but that being a housewife and having a baby was not what she wanted for her life."

"I can't believe that she would be capable of something like that! She was my best friend for years," she said incredulously. "She always said that she wanted a family and kids… why would she abandon Kadaj the way she did?" she asked angrily.

"Aerith has a very strange outlook of life. I think that had Kadaj been Strife's son, she would've stayed and been the perfect mother and wife. She never did love me the way…" he trailed off.

_The way you loved her_, Tifa finished inwardly, feeling her heart ache for him. "She never tried to get close to him in all this time?" she asked softly.

Sephiroth shook his head. "Not once," he replied. "I decided to tell Kadaj the truth once he was old enough, but I think I did more damage than good. His teenage years twice as bad as any other kid his age. There are times when I don't know what to do or say to him to help with whatever is going on in his head."

"You can just try your best to be a good father. He will see that and appreciate it. Maybe it won't happen any time soon, but when he grows up and becomes a father himself, he will see and recognize all that you went through for him in the absence of his mother," Tifa said, patting his knee and offering a smile.

Her friend nodded and patted her hand, taking it in his and giving her a squeeze. "I just hope that she keeps her mouth shut while we're at the school. She does not know what I am capable of doing in order to protect Kadaj."

Tifa just blinked and nodded. She understood his protectiveness, since her maternal instinct was much more dangerous than anything else in the world. She knew she would hurt anyone who dared harm Denzel, but she could appreciate Sephiroth because he was a single father who had raised his son all alone. Maybe his paternal instinct was just as acute as her maternal one.

* * *

As Denzel tried to find another CD to blast on his system, he heard the ring of the bell and frowned. His mom was in the backyard, talking to the dean, and they had been at it for nearly an hour. He had seen them from his window and decided to make himself invisible as he did his homework. The conversation they were having seemed important.

He took the steps two at a time, completely ignoring the various times his mom had nagged him to not do that, since one time he had missed his step and had fallen on his wrist. He'd had to wear a brace for an entire month after that episode, and his dad had talked so much crap to his mom that it hadn't been funny. Maybe he really did need to listen to his mom, since he hated it when his dad said anything bad to her.

Denzel opened the door and grinned when he saw Zack standing there. "Hey man, what's up?" he asked.

"Just here to visit your mom," said Zack, smiling widely. "She's here, right? I didn't get a chance to see her all day."

Denzel let him in and walked him towards the back door. "Yeah, she's here, but she's been talking to the dean for a while now. I don't know about what."

Zack frowned to himself and nodded. "So how are things going around here? You're dad isn't causing more trouble?"

Denzel shook his head. "No. He's been calm the last few days, and that's saying something. I'm just glad that he's not causing my mom grief," he said, opening the back door and pointing to where Tifa and Sephiroth were still talking.

"Alright kid, I'll talk to you later," said Zack, patting the teen's shoulder before he walked back into the house. He looked back to Tifa and his best friend and felt his eyes narrowing at the familiarity in which they were talking and treating each other.

Tifa laughed at something Sephiroth said to her and her eyes settled on him. She smiled widely and stood to approach him, Seph not far behind. "Hey," she said brightly. "I was expecting you earlier."

Zack smiled and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "Yeah, it's just that I had some paperwork that had to be mailed out today, so I had to stop by the post office," he said, eyeing his best friend. "What are you doing here, Seph?" he asked, trying to put out the tiny ember of jealousy that had lit up in his gut. This was his best friend of years, he would never do something like move in on his girl behind his back.

"I just came over to talk about our sons," said Sephiroth as Tifa rubbed his arm and bade him goodbye. "See you both tomorrow," he said before he left.

Zack and Tifa watched him go for a moment, then Tifa noticed the way Zack looked. He was standing with his hands in his pocket and he looked slightly stiff. "Are you all right?" she asked as she guided him towards the chairs she and Sephiroth had been sitting on before he had arrived.

"Why was he really here?" asked Zack suspiciously.

Tifa gave him an annoyed look. She knew what he was thinking, and he was so far off from the truth. But she wasn't angry the way she had been with Cloud, she actually thought it was kind of cute that Zack was jealous. "If I tell you how I know Sephiroth, will you promise not to flip out?" she asked him softly.

Zack frowned but nodded. "Okay. Just don't tell me that you're really Kadaj's mom because I will flip out," he said with a nervous laugh.

Tifa smirked. "No, it's nothing like that, but we did talk about Kadaj's mom. But putting that aside, I know Sephiroth since I was seventeen. He was already out of high school and we… we started to date. He was my boyfriend for almost a year. Then we broke up and I started to go out with Cloud," she said quietly.

Zack blinked and stared at her for a moment. "You and Seph…? You're the girl I used to bug him about!"

"What?" she asked with a small laugh.

"He told me that he had a girlfriend who was seventeen when he was already twenty. I used to tell him that he was robbing the cradle and that he had to be careful or else he'd end up in prison, since you were still underage," he said with a smirk.

Tifa slapped his arm. "We were good friends and I liked him. But back then I loved Cloud more, so we parted mutually. Now I consider him a great friend and I was just cheering him up because Kadaj had a little episode when we referred to his mother today. He's a bit insecure when it comes to his parenting skills. I was just reassuring him that in time, Kadaj will see all that he does for him and will appreciate it." As she finished talking, she moved over to sit next to him and stared into his eyes. "Were you jealous?" she asked with a shake of her head.

Zack flushed a soft red and shook his head. "I was thinking stupid thoughts." Before he could say more, Tifa pressed a soft kiss to his lips and smiled when he let out a long breath. "You know, if you do that every time you want to cheer me up, I'll become a brain washed zombie who will do anything you ask of him."

Tifa smiled before leaning forward to kiss him a little deeper. Zack responded in kind and cupped her face, tilting it to the side for better access. They weren't even aware of the sound of a window sliding open until a voice called out. "Hey! Keep it clean in my house!" Denzel yelled at them.

"Technically, we're in the backyard," Zack replied.

"Yeah, well, I don't need a floor show from where I'm standing," said Denzel.

"Are you finished with your homework?" Tifa asked sternly. "If not, you'll be grounded from watching TV all day."

"Yes, _mother_, I'm done. I was in the process of figuring out what to do when I spotted you two lovebirds swapping spit," the boy said in slight disgust.

Zack just smirked. "You act like you've never kissed a girl you've liked before. What about Marley?"

That shut him up completely. Denzel just scowled and shut his window before closing the blinds and leaving them alone. "Feel like keeping it clean?" he asked Tifa.

She shrugged. "Never was one to follow rules," she said with a smile.

"Good," said Zack before he moved forward to kiss her again.

* * *

"Go get me some cans of condensed milk, will you?" Yuffie asked her son as they perused the isles of the local market place.

"What for?" asked Oren.

"I wanna make a cake that I saw in a magazine. I'm pretty certain that it won't cause a disaster like the last one I tried," she replied with a grin.

"Mom, we're still cleaning crap off of the ceiling from your last cake. Why don't we just buy one that's already made?" he son asked as they turned into the fruit isle.

"Because I'm the mother here and I say when we buy cakes that are already made. I want to better my cooking skills and I can't do that if I don't practice. Now run along, little boy, and bring me the condensed milk and a bottle of rum," said Yuffie as she prodded at the watermelons, since that fruit was her son's favorite.

As she pushed the cart along and decided what the difference was between the four types of apples in that particular section, she nearly hit a woman because she wasn't watching where she was going. "Oops, sorry about that," she said with a smile.

"No, that's okay. I wasn't watching where I was going either," she said in a soft voice.

"Mom, there was this guy who was looking at me wrong when I grabbed the bottle of rum. It was the funniest thing," Oren said with a grin, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

Yuffie noticed that the woman she had run into was staring at Oren as if he had just sprouted a second head. "Is there something wrong?" Yuffie asked her. She was getting a little creeped out at the way she was looking at her teenage son.

"He just… he just looks an awful lot like my husband," the woman said in surprise.

"Maybe that's just a coincidence," said Yuffie, waving it off. "Come along kiddo, we still have many things to get," she said, smiling politely at the woman before she pulled her son along.

"What was that all about?" Oren asked her as they stopped to grab a carton of milk and two of eggs.

Yuffie shrugged. "Some psycho who thinks that you look like her husband…… Come on, I think we're done. Did you want to get anything for yourself?"

"I already grabbed those juices and the chips that I really like. I don't think we need anymore," he said as he walked with Yuffie towards the checkout line. As they started to put their things up to pay, Yuffie spotted the psycho woman who had talked to them just a few lanes away. The only way that Oren could look like her husband would be if the man was Vincent. But that would be too much of a coincidence, and Yuffie would have a breakdown if she found out that Vincent had found someone else after he had left her out in the cold.

"I was thinking of dyeing my hair red. You know, like that really electric red," said Oren absently.

Yuffie's eyes flew wide. "What! Are you crazy? You'd look like the son of the devil with your hair and eyes red. Keep dreaming kid, because if you dye your hair that color, the next morning you'll wake up bald," she said with an evil smirk.

"That's just wrong," Oren said with a laugh.

Yuffie paid for their groceries and helped her son put them into a cart to take it to their car. As they walked, they nearly ran into the same woman, but she just apologized and kept walking. A man approached her and Yuffie stopped walking.

"I just now found a parking spot," he said to the other woman.

She smiled and turned to Yuffie, who was staring at them both stupidly. "This is my husband. Do you see why I was stumped when I saw your son?" she asked.

Yuffie stared at him. For the first time in her life, words failed her and she didn't know what to do. Oren was standing next to her, unsure of what to do, but Yuffie knew that she needed to get out of there before she made a scene. Her husband was Vincent. He had married another woman. That was all that echoed in her head as Oren nudged her as Vincent looked over at her.

The years hadn't changed him much—the same went for Yuffie—he was just as tall and handsome, and he carried his years gracefully. His hair was long, passing his shoulders and held back by a bandana of some sort. He stared at Yuffie as if she had risen from the dead.

"Yuffie?" he asked her. She just bit her lip and refused to speak to him. But inevitably his eyes moved to Oren and the small amount of color he had—since he was naturally pale—drained from his face. Though her son had just recently cut his hair and was sporting it in spikes, there was no denying the face and eyes. "Who… who is…"

"He's her son. I was just commenting on how much he looks like you," said the woman.

Yuffie grabbed Oren and pulled him along as fast as she could, trying to push the cart at the same time. She could hear Vincent asking her to wait and not leave, but she couldn't stop. She couldn't stay and watch him with his wife. He was married and he had left her with a son and never looked back.

"Mom, you have to tell me who that was!" Oren exclaimed, feeling nervous at how his mother was acting. He had never seen her lose her cool the way she had when she had seen that man.

"I'll… I'll tell you later. Just… please stop asking me questions," Yuffie said softly, piling the bags into the trunk of her car quickly. "I need you to drive," she said, handing him the keys.

Oren just nodded and did as told, frowning when he spotted the man they had just met, standing there in the parking lot, looking for them. He pulled out of the parking space and drove towards their home.

"Take me to Tifa's place, please. Then I want you to drive straight home and put the groceries away."

"Mom, are you sure you're okay? You're scaring me," he said worriedly.

"Don't worry about me, honey. I just need to really talk to Tifa. She's the only one who would understand," she said, voice cracking slightly. She didn't want to cry in front of her son, but she was dangerously close.

* * *

Denzel sighed to himself in irritation. He hated it when his dad made him spend the weekend at his place. It was so boring, despite having his own room, various video games, and a brand new computer to amuse himself with. He missed his mom and her cooking. Besides, for the past few weeks, he had been getting along with Zack greatly.

Since their episode regarding making out in the backyard, his mom and Zack had been going out and spending a lot of time together. He was happy that she was happy, since there was always a smile on her face now. He wondered if they would end up married. Zack seemed like he was serious about his mom, and she appeared to be happier than he had ever seen he, and she appeared to be happier than he had ever seen her.

As Denzel looked around his father's house, he was thankful that he and his wife had gone out to get something to eat. That gave him the chance to prowl around the places where his stepmother usually barred him access from. He moved into a room that was used as green room and wondered why Aerith took care of the place as if it held her most valuable possessions. All Denzel saw was a bunch of plants, though he could admit that they looked nice.

Against one wall was a small bookcase with various books on gardening, and he stopped to look at them boredly. He was bored enough to actually read one. As he grabbed the book and leafed through it, something fell out and landed at his feet. He kneeled down to pick it up and realized that it was a picture. When he turned it over, he was looking at an image of Aerith, much younger, and holding a baby with silver hair and green eyes very similar to hers. She was holding the kid with great care, and it made Denzel wonder who it was.

"Denzel?" came her voice from the doorway.

He stood and looked at Aerith, holding out the picture to her. "Who is that baby?" he asked her.

Aerith swallowed and looked down at the picture in her hand. She stared at it for a long moment and then looked at her stepson. "This… this is a picture of me and a friend's baby. I haven't seen him in nearly sixteen years," she said softly.

"What's his name?" Denzel asked her, something in his gut telling him that there was more to what she was actually saying.

"This is Kadaj," she replied.

"Oh, I know him. He goes to our school and he's on my football team too," Denzel said with a frown. "Why do you have that picture inside of a gardening book out here? Were you trying to hide it?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

"Of course not. I had just forgotten that it was there," she said, attempting a bright smile. "Now, come along Denny, the food is ready," Aerith said, pulling him along and to the dining room.

"Hey, where were you?" asked Cloud when he saw them together.

"I was just checking out the flowers in my stepmom's green room. They're really nice, by the way," Denzel said, attempting to humor her. She looked a little bit pale and that gave away the fact that she was hiding something that Denzel would discover soon enough.

* * *

Tifa couldn't remember the last time she had had a guy kissing her the way Zack was doing. She really needed to put a stop to where they were obviously going, but she really didn't want to. She was just enjoying it too much. Denzel was over at Cloud's house and she and Zack were there alone. Making out on her couch when they should've been watching a movie together.

"Zack," she gasped when his kisses moved to her neck and one hand settled low on her hip.

"God, Tifa, you smell good," he murmured before kissing her again. Really, this moment between them had been brewing for weeks now. They had gone from chaste kisses, to not so chaste. Then hands had started to wander during some dates, and it had all led to this.

Tifa's brain was in a haze as they laid side by side on her couch, touching and kissing. She wanted to be with him, she knew that much, but she wasn't sure if now was the right time. She giggled slightly when Zack's wandering fingers glided across her stomach.

"Oh, so you're ticklish?" Zack asked her evilly.

"Don't you dare," she said breathlessly, slapping at his hands. She shrieked in laughter when he attacked her mercilessly and she tried to evade his hands at any cost. The result was them falling off of the couch with Tifa on top of him. She stared down into his bright eyes and gave him a small smile as her legs straddled his waist.

Then she leaned forward and kissed him slowly, languidly, tasting him as thoroughly as he had tasted her before he had begun to tickle her. His hands slid up her jean clad thighs and settled on her hips as her dark curtain of hair surrounded them. Suddenly he was surrounded by her completely. Her hair always smelled of some type of tropical fruits, and she tasted even sweeter. He nearly groaned when her hands slid up his chest slowly, touching him through his shirt and then settling on his shoulders as she leaned completely on him.

Her lips left his and moved over his sharp jaw and down his neck, finding a spot that made his breathing quicken. Then before she could do more than just lick the spot, he flipped them over so that he was above her. He pushed her hands above her head and kissed her again, trying to find the best way to lay atop her without crushing her with his weight.

Before she could voice the fact that they were wearing too much clothing, there was a frantic knock at the door that broke the mood. Zack groaned and let his head drop in the place where her neck met her shoulder. "Why god, why?" he asked against her skin.

Tifa laughed breathlessly but pushed at him so that she could stand. "Maybe next time, SOLDIER," she said with a grin, liking the nickname she had picked for him. She walked over to the door but stopped when she saw herself in the mirror next to it. Her hair was in complete disarray and her cheeks were flushed. There were also little marks, barely visible on one side of her neck. Geez, she just hoped that it wasn't Cloud or Denzel on the other side of the door. She ran a hand quickly through the long strands of her hair and then let out a breath as she opened the door.

Yuffie was standing there, looking distraught and just about ready to break down. she had seen her friend this way only one other time, and that had been when Vincent had left after graduation. "What's wrong?" Tifa asked her in concern.

"Can I come in? I really need to talk to you, and I know that Zack is here, but I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't necessary," Yuffie said quickly.

"Don't worry about it," Zack said as he pulled on his coat and made his way towards the door. "I think I need to leave anyway," he said to Yuffie.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry for intruding," she said before she stepped into Tifa's home and gave the two a moment to say goodbye.

Zack stepped outside and Tifa followed him. "How about we go to the movies tomorrow?" he asked her.

Tifa nodded and smiled. "That sounds great," she said before he leaned forward to kiss her. He drew away, leaving her breathless and wanting nothing more than to ask him to wait for her in her bedroom, but Yuffie needed her and she had never denied her friend help since Yuffie had always been there for her too. She waved at Zack as he got into his car and drove away, then she walked into her home to see her friend sitting at the dinner table with a bottle of tequila and a shot glass in her hand.

"What's going on?" Tifa asked, grabbing her own shot glass and watching as Yuffie poured to the rim. They took the shot together and winced slightly as the alcohol burned down their throats.

"I'm sorry I interrupted the first sex you were going to have in four years, but I think my world just ended," Yuffie said as a few tears escaped her eyes.

"Were we that obvious?" Tifa asked incredulously.

Yuffie smirked and nodded. "Not him, but you Teef, you looked like you had just gotten the feel up of the century and you thoroughly enjoyed it."

"I did," replied Tifa with a slight blush. "But come on, tell me what's going on," she said seriously.

Her best friend sighed and nodded. "Oren and I went to the market today. I bumped into this woman who insisted that he looked like her husband, but I just blew her off. I mean, nobody's husband is as handsome as my boy, but when we were about to go, her husband arrived," said Yuffie as she poured them another shot.

They downed it together and Tifa's worry grew when more tears sprung to Yuffie's eyes. But she continued her story. "Her husband was Vincent, Tifa. That woman recognized that Oren looked like him because her husband is the father of my son. The man who left us and broke my heart is married to another woman."

Tifa's eyes were wide as she listened to her friend rant. "He saw Oren? Did he realized that he was his son?" she asked as Yuffie broke into sobs.

"I think he did. I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that Oren has Vincent's eyes. Besides, the woman told him that he was my son. Even if Vincent didn't realize it at the moment, he could've put two and two together afterwards," Yuffie said as she poured them a third shot.

"What about Oren, did he realize what was going on? Where is he?" Tifa asked in worry of her nephew. He shouldn't have been left alone at a time like this.

"No, no, Oren is at home, oblivious to the fact that he saw his father for the first time ever today. What am I going to tell him, Teef? How can I tell him that his father is somewhere close and that he's married to another woman?" Yuffie asked softly.

Tifa felt her pain and hugged her best friend as she cried. If she could've had the power to change the past, she would've, but then again, neither Denzel nor Oren would've been born and both teens were all she and Yuffie had in life. She thought of Kadaj too, and how screwed up he was because of his own mother.

She wished she could've had the power to help all the teens in the world who had been hurt by people who were supposed to love them the most. But there wasn't anything she could do for them. She could only try to be the best she could for her own son and show him how to be a good person. She really did hope that Oren wasn't hurt too much by the situation his mother found herself in now.

* * *

Hehe, so how was that for a chapter? Sad situation with Vincent and Yuffie, huh? I know that not much happened here, except for Tifa and Zack's _close encounter_, but be patient my friends. I know I'm making Aerith to be evil for leaving Kadaj, but I won't make her too bad. She's in reality not a bad person in this fic. Also, Yuffie may have been a little OOC in the end here, but she deserves to have a breakdown after not seeing Vincent for so long, right? Next chapter will have a little more action, so stay tuned.

I hope many questions were answered here, even though I know that many more will arise. I'm loving this story so much that I actually wrote the entire chapter today, and for me that's a lot. I usually write a chapter in a space of two or three days, taking my time or moving on to something else if I get bored, but I love this fic and I love you guys for your positive words. I hope everyone has a great weekend, and thanks so much for your reviews in the last chapter!

Joey


	5. Moving On

Rating has changed my peeps! Be warned.

_Warning:_ Adult situation towards the end, if you aren't old enough or you just don't like, please don't read. I don't want anyone getting into trouble because of me.

……………………………

**Moving On**

……………………………

Zack sighed to himself as he pulled into his parking space at the school and hauled out his briefcase full of fliers and papers for his college counseling. Though it wasn't the hardest job in the world, and he enjoyed talking to the brats about their options once they graduated, he was still required to be on top of new programs available at various colleges, and new forms of financial aid. That meant that he needed to be organized and that he had to haul around the papers filled with information. Regardless of what Seph said, he was a very dedicated person when it came to his job.

He looked around the parking lot and was a little disappointed to see that Tifa's car wasn't in the lot yet. They had gone to the movies the night before, after the little couch and floor episode, but unfortunately, there hadn't been much that he could do to her in a packed theater room. It seemed that every time he left Tifa at home, he needed to get to his place fast to take a _very_ cold shower. There just wasn't anything that didn't turn him on about Tifa. She was smart, beautiful, quick-witted, and best of all she was an amazing human being who cared about others more than herself. She had explained to him about Yuffie's situation, and Zack had felt bad for the other woman. She always appeared to be happy, and she was a good person who deserved the best in life too. He just hoped that her son didn't get caught in the crossfire between his parents.

Though Zack _was_ disappointed that Tifa wasn't around, he spotted her ex-husband talking to a strange man with long dark hair, and who was a good few inches taller than the man. He didn't pay them much attention, since Tifa's ex-husband didn't seem like an interesting type of man. Anyway, about Tifa, he was beginning to realize that she was becoming an important part of his life. He had so much fun with her whenever they went out, and she never ceased to make him laugh at little things. She was totally amazing. Ah, but standing before him now was someone who wasn't amazing at all. The glare on the man's face was fit to scare the devil, but Zack had been on the receiving end of Seph's glares and those had been the worse of the worse years ago. Now he was used to anything. Also, the man he had been talking to was long gone.

"Can I help you with something?" asked Zack as politely as he could. The man really hadn't done anything to him personally, but if he was pestering Tifa, then Zack would make damn sure to let the other man know that she wasn't alone anymore.

"What are your intentions with Tifa?" asked Cloud in a cold voice.

At least he didn't beat around the damned bush, Zack thought. Not that it was any of his business. He told him. "I don't think it's any of your business, since you're married to another woman and all, but just so you know, I like Tifa. I can't understand why you left her, since she's an astounding person, but I'm glad that she's free so that I can…" he thought of a word. "…_court_ her," he said smugly.

Cloud's eyes were narrowed in simmering anger. "Hurt her in any way and I'll—"

Zack merely gave him an amused look and cut him off. "You don't need to threaten me. I know exactly what I'm doing and so does she. In case you haven't noticed, she's a grown woman who can make her own decisions," he said flatly.

Before Cloud could tell him off for being an asshole, they saw Tifa pull into the spot in front of them, Denzel in the passenger seat. She got out and smiled at them before opening the trunk of her car to grab her heavy bag. Denzel approached the men and shook hands with Zack. "Hey man, how's it going?" he asked.

Zack grinned. "Great. I was just getting to know your pops a little better," he said, eyeing the other man.

"Oh, hey dad," Denzel said in a slightly dry tone.

"Morning, Denz. Morning, Tifa," Cloud said as she walked over to them and smiled brightly when her eyes landed on Zack.

"Morning guys. Were you waiting for us?" Tifa asked, eyes moving from Zack to Cloud suspiciously.

"Not really, I just got here, but it's great that you're here now," said Zack as he winked at her and they began to walk away from Cloud.

"See you, dad," Denzel said, noticing the way he was looking at his mom and Zack.

"Yeah," Cloud murmured as he watched his own son jog off to join Zack and Tifa. They talked animatedly, but Cloud felt his gut clench as he watched his son laugh and joke with the other man. He was losing them. Wait, what? _Them? _He had let Tifa go a long time ago. He was losing his son. Just his son, and he needed to do something before he lost Denzel permanently.

……

"What were you really talking about with Cloud?" Tifa asked Zack once her son had walked off to his first class.

"He was asking me what my intentions with you were," Zack admitted.

Tifa felt her blood boil, but she wouldn't let Cloud ruin her day again. She smiled and closed the distance between her and Zack as they stood just inside her classroom. "And what are your intentions with me?" she asked softly, her lips skimming his ear.

"Don't do this to me at school, Tifa," he whispered deeply, running his hands up her waist.

"Then when should I do this to you?" she asked with a grin.

"How about I cook you dinner at my place? _Hmm?_ No interruptions and exquisite food to boot," he said in a very alluring tone.

Tifa looked into his eyes and searched them, trying to figure out if he would be the type of guy to sleep with her and then leave her. She hadn't had much experience with guys. Her first relationship had been with Sephiroth and he had been a gentleman with her, but their relationship hadn't lasted more than a year. They hadn't been intimate and he had never pressured her to be with him either. It hadn't been like she hadn't wanted to. He had been and still was a very attractive man, but she had been a little scared and in her early seventeen. Then when Cloud had come around, she had been a little older, and she had been in love. The decision had been easier and she had given in. A few months after being with Cloud had resulted in Denzel being conceived.

Her son hadn't been exactly unplanned, but he had been a pleasant surprise. Cloud had been happy when she had told him that she was having a baby, despite the fact that they had been barely out of high school. Most of her life had been spent dedicated to Cloud and Denzel. She had never looked at another man while she had been married to him, and even when the divorce had been finalized, she hadn't dated any man, despite having various offers from sweet, handsome men. Zack had been different though. She could admit that though she had been a little thrown off at the beginning, his easy going attitude and just his plain sweetness had won her over. Would she be making a mistake if she accepted his invitation to go to his place?

"Tifa?"

"Yeah?" she asked, clearing her throat.

"You kinda zoned out for a moment. Are you alright?" he asked, touching her forehead and feigning worry.

Tifa slapped at his hand and smiled. "I was just thinking about your offer, and yes, I accept to come over for dinner. No interruptions," she said seriously.

Zack kissed her quickly and nodded. "Great. Then how about we leave it for this Friday night, after school?"

"That sounds great. I'll see if Yuffie can let Oren come stay over with Denzel so that he won't be alone at home.

"That's good. Make sure to wait for me when you go to lunch, okay?" he asked before kissing her again, the bell ringing. "I hope you have a good day, sweetheart," he said before he walked out of her classroom and left a smiling woman behind.

Tifa felt as if she were floating through the cloud's. Her day had officially started off good. She decided that she would take it easy on her students today.

……………

Denzel frowned to himself when their teacher had to call Oren's name for the third time in the class period. There was something really bothering the dark haired guy, and Denzel couldn't wait for class to be over. When the bell finally rang, he turned to Marlene and asked her to go on without him because he needed to talk to Oren alone. She just nodded and gave him a smile that made his heart speed up, and he had to tear his eyes from her because Oren was leaving the classroom without him. Denzel jogged after him and caught him outside.

"What's going on, man? You were acting strange throughout the whole class. Are you alright?" Denzel asked him.

Oren shook his head and waited for the hall to clear before they made their ways to homeroom, which wasn't so far away from their first class. As they stood outside, wishing that the tardy bell didn't ring, he explained. "Last weekend, I went with my mom to the market place. We bumped into some lady who said that I looked like her husband. My mom just blew it off and said she was psycho. Later on, when we were about to leave, we bumped into the same lady again, but this time her husband was there. My mom just froze. Then she completely flipped out and ran out of there faster than I had ever seen her move when we weren't training. She asked me to drop her off at your mom's house and by the time she got home, she looked like she had been crying and drinking."

Denzel nodded, remembering that when he had walked downstairs, he had caught his mom and his aunt knocking back a shot each. "Did you know who that man was?"

Oren shook his head. "He seemed familiar though, but… I just can't place where I have seen his face," he admitted. Then a cold feeling settled over the both of them. They looked at each other with wide eyes. He ran into their homeroom and told the teacher rapidly that he had an emergency and that he needed to see his mom right away. The old woman gave him a hall-pass and he smacked Denzel's shoulder in goodbye before he was running down the hall. Denzel just watched him go and wonder if the man at the market had really been Oren's dad. Then he turned and walked into homeroom to wait for his friend and explain some things to Marlene.

Oren arrived at Yuffie's door in record time. He was slightly out of breath, despite the training his mother insisted on him having when concerning his ninja heritage. He really wasn't interested in fighting anyone, but stealth and jumping off of high places always came in handy. He knocked the door and waited for her to answer. When she did, she smiled slightly. "What are you doing here kid?" she asked.

"Who was that man mom? I know I've been slow to realize things, but I need to know if he's the person I am imagining," Oren said seriously.

Yuffie looked at him sadly and shook her head. "What do you want me to say?" she asked, voice cracking. She couldn't believe that she was having this conversation with her son at school.

"I wanna know if that man really was my dad. I didn't pay much attention because he looked different than he did when you two were in high school, but I just can't get this sensation out of my head. Was that my dad or not?" Oren nearly pleaded.

The tardy bell finally rang as Yuffie and Oren stared at each other. Finally she nodded and tried to calm her emotions. This was not the time and place for her to freak out. "Yes. That was Vincent," she conceded.

Oren just froze. He couldn't form any words to express exactly what he was feeling at that moment. He had seen his dad, and he was married to some other woman. What if they had kids? That meant that he wasn't an only child. The man had left and never come back. The way his mom spoke of them as a couple, Oren had thought that his father loved her, but he had never bothered to return before, and he hadn't even tried to call.

"Oren," Yuffie started.

He shook his head, moving away from her. "Don't say anything mom. I don't want to talk about him. He may not have known that I existed, but he never even bothered to call you or to come see you all these years. I'm fine mom. I'm not angry," he said before he began to walk away from her.

Yuffie watched him go and felt tears prick her eyes again. Her son was in pain and there was nothing she could do about it. She had spent the remainder of the weekend crying, trying to come to terms with the fact that Vincent was married and that he had left her all those years ago. She swiped at her eyes and composed herself as much as she could before she walked back into her classroom. Now was not the time for her to have another breakdown.

………………

He contemplated whether or not he was doing the right thing. He had been searching high and low for Yuffie from the moment she had run out of the market. He hadn't been able to say a word to her, and he had felt frozen to the spot as he eyed the teen standing next to her. Though the boy had been noticeably taller than her, he had a young face that betrayed his age, and also the fact that the boy's face was identical to his. Vincent needed some confirmation that the boy he had had standing in front of him was his son. So many things were rolling around in his head. Had he left Yuffie pregnant and alone? He couldn't be at peace until he knew if the boy was really his. His wife had told him that obviously the teen was his son, the eyes and the face were a dead giveaway, but Vincent had to hear it from Yuffie.

As he made his way towards the main office of the school he knew Tifa worked in, he tried to come up with a good and believable excuse for them to let him in. He stopped in front of the woman at the desk and tried a small smile for her. "Good morning, ma'am. I am here to see a teacher."

"I'm sorry sir, but during school hours we can't interrupt a class," said the woman apologetically.

"I understand," said Vincent. "It's just that… she's my sister and I have been away for a long time. I wanted to surprise her."

The woman's eyes softened and she looked around to see if anyone was watching her. "Well…"

"Please help me with this?" asked Vincent.

"Fine, but I will have to walk you to her classroom. If I let you wander the school, I may get fired," she said as she stood.

Vincent felt his heart stop. Tifa would probably want nothing to do with him, and she would tell the woman from the office that he was a stranger. He would only get one chance to convince Tifa to talk to him and tell him where Yuffie was. He walked silently next to the woman, taking in the school and its polished floors and clean walls. He wondered if Yuffie's son came to this school.

"Here it is. This is her classroom," said the woman as she knocked.

Vincent tensed and waited for the door to open. A curious student stared at them both then looked inside the classroom to call 'Ms. Lockhart' over. Tifa stepped through the door and looked at Vincent with wide eyes.

"Please Tifa, we need to talk," he said quickly. Tifa turned to the woman from the office and managed a small smile.

"You know him then?" asked the woman. "He said he was your brother and that he was here to surprise you."

Tifa fought down a glare and nodded. "Sure. Don't worry about me, Mrs. Miles. I need to talk to… _my brother_. I will escort him out of the school when we're done talking," she reassured the woman who smiled and walked away. She turned to her classroom and shushed the noise. "I want you all to start your homework assignment right now. That way you won't have any excuses for not turning them in tomorrow morning. And please, keep the noise to a minimum or we will be staying in late for lunch."

She walked back outside and opened the door so that she could keep an eye on the class. "What are you doing here? How dare you tell the office that you're my brother," she hissed.

Vincent just ran a hand through his hair. "Tifa, I need you to tell me where Yuffie is. You probably already know that we saw each other at the market—"

"And she also told me that you're married. How long?" Tifa asked him angrily.

He looked away from the fury in her eyes and knew that when he saw Yuffie again, it would be ten times worse than this. "Almost ten years," he admitted. "I didn't know what to do with myself when I left."

Tifa's eyes narrowed, remembering Yuffie's tears after he had left. "Then why did you leave? Didn't you love Yuffie enough to stay?"

He didn't answer for a long moment. "That boy, is he my son?"

"It's not my place to say," said Tifa.

"Then please tell me where Yuffie is. I need to talk to her," Vincent murmured.

Tifa shook her head. "I can't do that. I can't tell you where she is unless she wants me to. You left her Vincent, and you never came back. It's too late. Besides, you're a married man. What would your wife say?"

Vincent looked guilty. "Lucrecia has been very supportive and she wants me to find out if the boy is mine. She's been a good wife."

"Then go back to her and leave Yuffie alone," said Tifa softly.

"Please, Tifa…"

The brunette shook her head. "I won't tell you Vincent. Now, you either leave willingly, or I will call security and I will tell them that you lied about being my brother."

"Wait," said Vincent. "At least take down my number and ask Yuffie to call me, or ask her if she will meet with me for lunch or something. We need to talk about this," he said quietly.

"Fine," said Tifa, taking a piece of paper and a pen from the classroom and then handing it over to Vincent. He scribbled down the number quickly and offered her a sad smile.

"Please, tell her that I really need to speak to her," he said.

"I can't guarantee you anything. But… how did you know that I was working here?" she asked him suspiciously.

Vincent just shook his head and turned to go. As he walked down the hall and towards the exit, he missed the young man who was making his way back to class from the library. Red eyes snapped up and Oren stared at the man who crossed in front of him. He was half tempted to call out to him, but he just couldn't. He needed to talk to his mom about it first.

………………

"Are you going to call him?" Tifa asked Yuffie once they were at lunch.

Yuffie's eyes were cold, and a little scary to Tifa. She had never seen her best friend this way before. Yuffie looked down at the phone number and shook her head. "I don't think so. But, I still need to talk to Oren about it. Maybe… maybe he wants to get to know Vincent," she replied quietly.

Tifa squeezed her hand and offered a small smile. "You can't just think about yourself in this situation. You have to do what's best for your son."

Her friend nodded. "I know that Tifa, but I… I just don't know what to do right now."

"Yuffie, I know this isn't the best time, but do you think Oren can come over to our house on Friday to keep Denzel company?"

Yuffie nodded. "What for?"

Tifa blushed slightly. "I'm going over to Zack's place for dinner," she whispered.

"It's about time!" said Yuffie brightly. "You think this will be the night?"

"I don't know. It _may_ be, but I'm freaked out, Yuffie," Tifa admitted. At her friend's questioning look, she elaborated. "It's been four years since I was with a man, and I really like Zack. I don't want to ruin anything good we may have by sleeping with him," she explained.

Yuffie was quiet for a moment. "He really likes you, Teef, and from all that you have told me, it's been building up between you two. Just go for it and worry about the consequences or results later. What I wouldn't give to have a man like that after me."

"What about Reno?" Tifa asked, remembering asking her the same question a while back. "He may act like an idiot at times, but he's a great guy. He has raised his kid on his own too."

Yuffie shrugged. "Reno and I understand that we're only in it for the friends with benefits deal. We don't question it, and we don't bother trying to make it more. He'll find that woman he needs some day, but that's not me. Especially now that I find out that my son's father is here in the city and married to another woman."

Tifa rubbed her hand and smiled when she spotted Zack by the door. He usually walked in with Sephiroth, but he was nowhere to be seen at the moment. Yuffie followed her line of vision and smirked. "Geez, Tifa, might as well have him do you here on the table to get over the sexual tension," she said with a snicker when her friend blushed.

"Shut up, Yuffie. Don't you even dare try to say something like that in front of him," Tifa said through her teeth, pushing her long hair behind her ear.

"Well, I'll tell Oren about Friday. All I can tell you is to let go of everything else and embrace what life is offering you. He looks like a nice guy and he's one of the good ones because all he wants to do is make you smile… I'll see you later, but I have some quizzes that I need to prepare," Yuffie said as she stood, a smile gracing her lips.

"Hey, you don't have to go!" said Zack as he took a seat on Tifa's other side.

"Actually, I do. I don't want to be the third wheel here," Yuffie said with a wink before walking away.

"What's going on with her? She seems a little down," said Zack as he watched Tifa watch Yuffie. Man, every time he looked at Tifa, she ensnared a little bit more of his heart, and he found that he didn't mind one bit.

Tifa turned to look at Zack and blinked wide eyes when she found him really close to her. She blushed slightly at the look in those eyes and was thankful that the other teachers were paying them no mind. "Oren's father showed up here today. He came to see me, nearly begging me to tell him where Yuffie was," she said softly.

Zack sighed and understood her worry. "But why did he come to you? How did he know that you were working here?" he asked with a frown. Something was nagging him in the back of his mind, but he couldn't quite point out what it was.

Tifa shrugged. "He didn't want to tell me. He just told the front office that he was my brother and he charmed old Mrs. Miles into showing him where my classroom was. I was just thankful that Yuffie's door was closed or else we would've had a tragedy on our hands," she said quietly, watching as Zack took a bite of the grilled chicken she had been eating. "Good?" she asked him.

Zack just hummed in pleasure. The food tasted absolutely great. "You know," he started absently. "This morning I saw your husband talking to this tall, long-haired man. They looked like they knew each other, but I may have been mistaken."

Tifa's eyes narrowed and she was oblivious to the fact that Zack was now eating her lunch. She wasn't hungry anymore either way. "Did you see his face clearly? He had long, black hair held back by a bandana, and his eyes were red."

"I think that was the man, though I can't be sure because I was a distance away. You think your ex was the one who told that man where you worked? Why not just tell him where Yuffie and her son are?" asked Zack.

The brunette shrugged. "I guess he knows that Yuffie and I would hurt him if he interfered in this," she said darkly. If Zack was right and Cloud really had told Vincent where to find her, she would be _very_ angry.

Zack smiled and pressed a quick peck to her cheek. "About Friday… is there anything that you would me to cook for you?" he asked.

Tifa thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. "Surprise me. I would love to try anything you can make, since I'm a very good cook myself. We'll see if you can live up to my standards," she said with a playful grin.

He smirked and grunted. "Sweetheart, you will never find a man who can cooks as well as I can," he said smugly as Tifa rolled her eyes and smiled. "But only I came for a moment to see you. I have to get back to my office to finish some more paperwork and to eat a deli sandwich that Seph promised me," he said with a wink.

"Okay," she said with a small pout. "I see how things are. You didn't come here to see me, you came here to eat my lunch."

Zack grinned and wished nothing more than to kiss her senseless at that moment. "And what a delicious lunch that was," he said before standing. "I'll talk to you later, sweetheart."

"Be a good boy now, Zack," she said with a smile.

"You know I will," he said before he walked out of the lunch area.

Now that he was gone, Tifa couldn't fight off the dark feeling settling in her gut in regards to Cloud. He had a lot of explaining to do. He wasn't in the lunch area either, and Aerith was easting with some fellow teachers, so it was more than likely that Cloud was in his classroom. As she put away her things in her lunch bag, she wondered what his excuses would be this time. Cloud had no right to help Vincent interfere with Yuffie and Oren's lives.

When she arrived at Cloud's room, he was reading a book and taking down some notes. He looked up at her arrival and gave her a small smile. "What are you doing here, Tifa?"

"You were the one who told Vincent that I work here?" she asked him flatly.

He let out a sigh and nodded. "It was better than telling him that Yuffie and Oren were here too, wasn't it?" he asked seriously.

"We have no right to interfere in this. Vincent left Yuffie when she was pregnant of their son. I understand that he didn't know it at the moment, but never even bothered to call or write to her! He has no right to come back now to try to fix things! Do you have any idea how affected Yuffie is now that she knows that he's married?" she snapped in a quiet tone.

Cloud shook his head. "What about Oren? He has a right to meet his father! Whatever went on between Yuffie and Vincent has nothing to do with him and Oren."

"That's not for you or I to decide. Yuffie doesn't want to talk to him, and Oren is still confused. I'm warning you now, Cloud, that if Vincent finds out anything on Yuffie or Oren through you, I _will_ hurt you," she spat before marching out of his classroom in a huff.

Cloud scowled to himself. He knew that he had no business sticking his nose in Yuffie's business, but Vincent hadn't even known that he was going to be a father when he had left. Cloud hadn't exactly confirmed that Oren was Vincent's son, but it didn't really take a genius to see that the kid was all Vincent's. They had been friends once upon a time, and though Cloud still didn't know why the other man had left, he wanted to help in giving Oren the father he needed. If Tifa didn't understand the bond between a father and a child, well that was too bad.

……………

Tifa stared up at the house Yuffie had dropped her off at. Her friend had given her a ride since she had dropped off her son with Denzel. The place wasn't huge, but it was a pretty big, with a visibly spacious front and back yard. She couldn't deny that she was nervous, and she had been the entire week, despite Yuffie's reassuring words that she was doing the right thing. She was finally moving on, and she really liked Zack. He was an amazing man, and so very handsome. Though she had never been the jealous type, she hadn't missed the looks he received from the female—and a few of the male—faculty, and it bothered her a bit. Though he showed interest in only her, and had given her all his attention for weeks now, she was curious to know where they were going.

Tifa shrugged to herself and ran a hand through her long hair. She was wearing casual clothes which included a formfitting, long sleeve sweater that reached her mid thighs and a pair of tight jeans with boots. Her hair was loose and silky as always, and she was wearing a small amount of make-up. She hadn't wanted to go overboard on her looks, but she did look nice, and she felt comfortable. She walked over to ring the bell and smiled to herself when she heard a series of loud barks and a scolding voice. Finally she would meet the famous Buster. She just hoped that he was not a biting type of dog. The door flew open and she came face to face with the man of her hot dreams.

"Quiet you," Zack said to his dog. "Hello there, beautiful lady. Come on in and don't mind the yapping," he said, kissing her softly before letting her in.

"Hello, Buster," Tifa said to the dog. He was huge and had the loudest bark she had ever been privy to. The German Shepherd sniffed at her before he licked her hand and wagged his tail. "Aww, isn't he a cute puppy?" she asked in a baby voice.

"Don't I even get a hello out of you?" Zack asked as he walked her through his home.

"You got a kiss from me, Zack. Now stop being a baby and give me a tour," she demanded with a smile.

"Fine," he said, showing her around the house. Though it was a one story place, it was big on the inside too, and it looked even more spacious because there was no clutter. His furniture was made of dark woods and his sofas of a velvety black. The kitchen was a mix of black tiles and marble, and stainless steel appliances. His bedroom was a just as scarcely decorated, and it made the bed appear huge, though it was a normal sized king with black sheets. He had many books and music CD's and he had an impressive collection of movies and video games. He also had an office, two extra bedrooms, a pool, and three bathrooms. Why he needed so much space was beyond her, but she didn't question his taste. All in all, he had a very nice house.

Buster was then put out in the backyard and both washed up to enjoy Zack's dinner. He had cooked spaghetti with meatballs, and had used a sauce he had made himself. Tifa found it hard to believe but he showed her the ingredients and the mess he had made while doing it. The food was delicious and the wine only made it all better. After they were finished and had cleaned up—at Tifa's insistence, she would've washed the dishes if he had let her—they moved to the living room with another glass of wine. After pulling off her boots and getting comfortable on his soft rug, she snuggled her head against his shoulder.

"Can I ask you a question?" Tifa asked, as they sat in front of the fireplace, warm and cozy next to each other. Zack nodded and threaded his fingers through her hair. "Why didn't you have any kids? Was it a lack of opportunity, or did you not feel the need to have them?"

Zack sighed and thought about it. "I want to have kids of my own; I just hadn't found the woman who I wanted to have them with. My ex-wife was too interested in her looks to actually give me any children, and before her I just didn't think I was ready for them. What about you? you never thought of having more kids with your ex? Another sibling for Denzel?"

Tifa smiled and shook her head. "From the start I realized that having a child was hard. Cloud helped out as much as he could, but I was reluctant to talk to him about having another baby. Maybe in some part of me I knew that he and I wouldn't be together for the rest of our lives. I love Denzel and if another baby would've come along, the situation would have been harder, but I would have taken it head on the same way I did. Denzel and I have our normal ups and downs, but for the most part, he's a great son. I'm proud of him. He got his drivers license yesterday," she said proudly. "He even asked to borrow the car to get something to eat with Oren." After a moment of silence she looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Do you think… you're ready to have kids now?" she asked before taking a sip of her wine.

"Only if the kids I have are with you," he said softly, watching as she pulled back to stare at him clearly. Her eyes were wide and red in the firelight.

"You're serious?" she asked softly.

Zack nodded. "I know that it's probably too soon to be talking about having kids with you, but from the moment I met you, you have been ensnaring my heart little by little. I'm not afraid of that, but I am afraid that maybe you're reluctant to let me in here," he tapped her heart, "after all that you went through with your ex."

Tifa smiled and leaned forward to kiss him. "I'm not afraid, Zack. As long as you promise that you won't hurt me purposely, I will give you my all. Not at the same time, of course, but little by little," she said with a smile.

"I don't want to rush you into anything you don't want to do," he murmured, placing their empty glasses on the table holding a lamp nearby.

Tifa smiled and stood, holding out her hand to his. He took it and stood, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her gently. The feel of his lips and tongue in her mouth were amazing, and really, she was a grown woman who was allowed to indulge herself with a man that she really really liked. She understood what he was saying about ensnaring his heart little by little, she felt the same way. Why not just give in and see where this would take them? "Would you think less of me if I asked you to give me a more in depth tour of your bedroom?" she asked as she looked into his nearly glowing eyes.

Zack let out an exaggerated sigh. "I've been trying to think less of you from the moment we met, but I couldn't. You occupy my every waking moment," he said, twisting her words and smiling affectionately at her.

Tifa slapped his arm and smiled back. "I'm serious."

"So am I, but I would be delighted to show you my bedroom," he said with a wink that made her face warm up. Or maybe it was the heat from the fireplace. Yeah, the heat from the fireplace, she convinced herself. As her eyes roved over Zack's backside, which was quite a sight, she felt butterflies fill her stomach. She felt the way she did her first time with Cloud, but twice as excited. She was a grown woman and she knew what she was getting into and what was to come.

The bedroom was dark and Zack let go of her hand to turn on his music system to something low that sounded like a mesh of classical and hard rock music. It was oddly relaxing to her, and when he approached to wrap his arms around her, Tifa met his lips with slowly simmering passion. Zack's hands smoothed down her back to her bottom, making her jump slightly when he pressed them tightly together. His hands then came up and under her long sweater, warm fingers dancing over the small of her back and waist. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked her breathlessly. "We won't ever be able to go back."

Tifa smiled as his lips moved over her exposed neck, teeth nipping lightly at the skin. "I don't want to go back. I'm happy where we are," she breathed as his fingers worked on her jeans and pushed them over her hips. Her own fingers, which had been clutching at his wide shoulders, were now working on the buttons of the black dress shirt he had been wearing.

Tifa stared down at his chest in near awe. She had never seen a man quite as amazing as Zack before. Sure, Cloud had been muscled, but nowhere near as much as the man in front of her. She ran fingers down defined muscles and smooth skin. There were scars here and there, but they didn't take away from who he was, just like the scar on his face they made him even more intriguing and handsome. Then her thoughts ceased when he pushed off his shirt and worked on his own jeans. Tifa watched him, feeling warm feeling in her stomach at the sight of him in his boxers. Really, had she ever seen a sexier man?

"Your turn," he said, eyeing the sweater she was still wearing, but that was now bunched at her waist. Tifa looked down shyly before reaching for the sweater and slowly pulling it off, taking her time and giving him an eyeful. "Wow, Tifa, you're making me feel like some horny teenager," he muttered.

Tifa burst into laughter which he silenced with his lips and more wanderings hands. She couldn't really remember how they made it to his bed, but she did know that it was a very soft mattress and the sheets were cool against her heated skin. She would've loved to take her time getting to know Zack's body, but there would be time for that later, now all that mattered was the feel of his mouth on places that made her cry out and clutch at the sheets breathlessly. Really now, Yuffie had been right about waiting too long. She hadn't even realized how long it had been since she had been with a man until now.

"God, Tifa, I wanted to take my time with you, but… but…" he said breathlessly before kissing her much slower.

"I don't mind. There will be time for that later," she whispered against his lips, her hands running through the thick spikes of his hair as he kissed her throat and collarbone.

She cried out his name and dug her nails into his shoulders as he moved slowly in, savoring her warmth and how perfect she felt around him. It had been a while for him too, and he didn't want to ruin the moment but he felt that need burn inside of him, wanting nothing more than to screw her senseless, but he would make this a memorable experience for them both. He tried a few experimental strokes before he found the perfect rhythm. Tifa blinked into the darkness, the only light coming from the parted curtains and the moon outside. Her heart was pounding in her chest from pleasure and something that she wasn't ready to admit just yet. He was so warm and strong, sure of himself as he moved against her, his lips wandering wherever they could reach.

His breathing was coming in quick pants, matching hers as he kept up his smooth strokes, never stopping and never faltering. He pulled back and watched her as long dark lashes moved over her half-lidded eyes. They were the color of a really dark wine now, watching him as his movements sped up. He didn't know how long he would be able to hold out with her looking at him that way and her body feeling the way it did at that moment. Nothing had ever felt that way to him before. No woman had made him experience what Tifa was making him feel. He watched her as her back arched, her legs coming around his waist as she called out his name in her ecstasy. She was a beautiful sight, her cheeks flushed, eyes still half-lidded, and her bangs plastered to her forehead in her sweat. He couldn't hold back, didn't want to hold back.

Tifa held him and shivered as he reached his own release, her insides giving her another treat when she felt with what force he was letting go. She hugged him to her tightly and smiled when his lips ran over her shoulder, nipping and kissing her there gently. "Geez, Teef, you rob me of all my strength," he chuckled against her neck.

She smiled and ran her hands through his hair once again. "Don't tell me you're too tired for round two," she said, hoping to get a rise out of him.

Zack moved back to stare at her and broke into laughter, moving to his side and pulling her with him. "Oh, I hit the jackpot with you," he murmured before kissing her sweetly, his hands smoothing over her back and her face.

"I'll give you a few minutes to recover," she said with a grin.

He flipped them so that he was underneath her, pushing her slightly so that she could straddle him. "Who needs a few minutes?" he asked smugly as Tifa leaned in for another kiss.

…………

A faint ringing startled Tifa from the relaxed sleep she had been enjoying. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so content, but she felt it now. Zack was asleep behind her, arms wrapped around her loosely, his breath arm against the back of her neck. Zack thought he had won the jackpot with her? Well, it went both ways. He had been amazing to her, and they had spent a _very_ long time getting to know each other's body more. She was well and truly exhausted, but she was happy.

The ringing started again and Tifa slid out of the bed, grabbing her underwear and spotting a sweatshirt that belonged to Zack nearby. She pulled it on and took in his scent, taking a moment for herself. Then she grabbed her jeans and pulled out her cell phone when she realized that the little thing had been making the annoying noise. She checked the time and saw that it was nearly midnight and too damned late for an unknown number to be calling her. She flipped the phone open and put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Am I speaking to Mrs. Tifa Lockhart?" asked a woman quickly.

"Yes, that's me," Tifa replied, frowning.

"I'm sorry to call so late ma'am, but I have some bad news," said the woman.

Tifa felt her gut clench in worry. "What's going on? Where are you calling from?"

"I am calling from the Edge General Hospital. I am sorry to inform you that your son has suffered a car accident. We need you to come down here immediately," said the woman.

Tifa did all she could do. She dropped the phone and cried out.

...

...

...

...

Duhn, duhn, duhn. Poor Denny, lets hope that he's okay. Anyway, was their moment abrupt? Too rushed? I dunno, but I'm thinking it was, though I had already figured out that this moment would happen in this chapter. Next chapter will explain what's going on with Denzel, how Cloud will react, and how Zack and Tifa will act after their night of passion. I can't give away anything more.

There was little Yuffie/Vincent in this chapter, but there will be more soon. Also, Seph, Aerith, and Kadaj are coming up as well, but they may be bumped to later chapters. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and I want to thank you all for the great reviews, I love you guys very mucho—that's not a typo, hehe. Anyway, thank you for reading and I do hope to hear more from you all! See ya soon!

Joey

P.S. Tomorrow is my b-day and though I won't confess how old I am, I'm happy. I got the perfect gift for myself and I'm hooked. I received _Crisis Core_ yesterday and I'm loving it. Zack is the best character ever, tied with Vincent who I love so very much as well. Did you guys know that the only reason I bought a PSP was for this very game? Lame, huh? But anyway, if you really want to make me happy, let me know what you thought of this chapter! Bye!


	6. It's Been A Long Time

…………………………………………

**It's Been A Long Time**

…………………………………………

Zack came awake with a start and sat up in bed, blinking furiously into the darkness of his bedroom. Tifa wasn't next to him, but he could see her standing and pulling on her clothing quickly. What worried him the most was the fact that she was crying. "What's going on?" he asked in worry, jumping to his feet and grabbing his boxers from where he had discarded them.

"I—I just got a call from Edge General Hospital. My son had a car accident. God… why did I let him take the car on his own? I mean, I taught him how to drive and he was very good at it… but I shouldn't have given him so much liberty with it just yet," she said between sobs. "If something bad has happened to him, I won't ever forgive myself."

"Don't say that, sweetheart," Zack took a moment to wrap her tightly in his arms. Then he pulled back and searched for his clothes as well. "I'm sure that he's fine, and that the accident was not his fault. Are you ready? I'll drive you," he said before grabbing a coat for her and for himself.

Tifa took it and walked with him out of the bedroom and towards the garage. She couldn't help herself and cried the entire drive to the hospital. Her son had to be okay. He just had to or else she would just die with him. Her breathing hitched and Zack reached over to squeeze her hand in his. "Have faith, love. Never give that up," he said as they finally pulled into the emergency section of the hospital.

As they got out, Zack spotted the sweatshirt she was wearing and would've smiled in smug satisfaction had the situation not been so serious. There was just something very ego boosting for a man when a woman wore his clothing. He took her hand in his and she offered him a faint smile as they walked quickly. They reached the front desk quickly and Tifa couldn't get a word out.

"We received a call about her son. Denzel Strife," Zack said for her.

The woman looked it up in the computer and nodded. "He is behind curtain number four. The doctor is still examining him at the moment. Thankfully, he has been conscious the entire time," said the nurse.

"Thank you," Tifa managed to choke out. "What about the other boy, was he there with him too?" she asked, getting over her initial shock.

"Are you family to him?"

Tifa nodded. Though she wasn't, she had always felt like Yuffie was her sister. "I'm his aunt."

"Well, he was treated for a little more severe wounds, but he is out of danger and has been moved to a private room for observation."

Tifa felt her eyes brim with tears again as Zack thanked the woman and walked her towards the curtain where Denzel was. She nearly stumbled over her own feet in her haste to get to him, but when they arrived, there was nothing but a gurney with bloodied sheets. She nearly swayed when she saw them, but another nurse approached them. "My son was supposed to be here. Where is he?" she asked the woman.

The nurse smiled politely. "He was moved to a private room just minutes ago. Go on to the fifth floor and the person at the desk will be able to tell you what room he is in now."

"Is he okay? Can you give me any type of news?" Tifa asked quickly, calming only slightly when Zack's hands settled on her shoulders.

"The doctor gave him a sedative for the pain, but he should be fine. Now go on ahead," said the nurse before walking away.

Zack steered her along in worry as she clutched his hand in hers. He feared that if Tifa didn't see Denzel soon, she would have a breakdown or something. When they made it to the fifth floor, they rushed to the desk and asked about Denzel and Oren. The woman was searching his name to give her the room number when the elevator ding'd again and Cloud and Aerith rushed out.

"How is he?" Cloud asked in agitation.

"I'm getting his information right now," said Tifa.

"And where were you while our son was out almost getting killed?" he hissed at her. He looked paled and worried, but absolutely furious.

"Don't talk to her that way," Zack snapped, moving forward as if to block Tifa from his words.

"Cloud, please. This isn't the time," Aerith said to him. "We need to see if Denny is okay."

Tifa matched Cloud's anger and was not afraid to shoot him down a peg. "I was out, okay? Was that a crime?"

Cloud's eyes turned a frosty blue in his anger. "You left our teenage son alone with his friend and your car, to do what? To be this guy's whore?"

Zack had heard enough. Before he knew it, his fist had made a solid connection with the man's face, and it was hard enough to send him to his knees. Cloud came to his feet and launched at him, but the two women and various staff were suddenly there to keep them apart. "Don't you dare call her that ever again!" Zack spat as Tifa pushed him back.

"Zack please, don't do this to me right now," she pleaded. That stopped him cold and he ignored Cloud in favor of wrapping Tifa in his arms in comfort.

The doctor walked out and approached them just as Yuffie nearly stumbled out of another elevator, also looking very pale and worried. "How's Oren?" she asked Tifa quickly, a few tears trekking down her cheeks.

"I don't know how either of them are," said Tifa as they hugged each other and held hands. Yuffie just nodded and didn't question the fact that Cloud was nursing a split lip and that the skin around it was a very obvious shade of red. Both she and Tifa moved towards the doctor and questioned the well being of their sons.

"You are the mothers?" he asked them. Both nodded. "Fortunately, both boys are fine. Aside from various wounds, bruises, and aches caused by the impact and the broken glass, Oren received a concussion and a few bruised ribs, but he is out of danger. He is sleeping it off now that we know that he is out of danger, but we want to keep him here a few days for observation."

"Thank Leviathan that he's okay," Yuffie whispered, squeezing Tifa's hand as they waited on news of Denzel.

"As for Denzel, he also suffered bruised ribs, and a broken wrist, but he is also out of danger. We also gave him a sedative for the pain, but he should be just fine. We will keep him here maybe a day or two, but he should be able to leave the hospital soon," said the doctor as the adults seemed to give a collective sigh of relief.

"Can we see them?" Tifa asked.

The doctor nodded and showed only Tifa and Yuffie to the rooms, which were side by side. Zack watched her go and then turned to see Cloud pacing next to his wife. He didn't regret knocking the little sucker down one bit, though he did understand that the other man was worried about his son and that clouded his judgment some. Tifa felt her eyes fill with tears as she looked at Denzel. He was sleeping peacefully, save for the little cuts on one side of his forehead and the bruises visible on his arm and face.

His eyes cracked open and he managed a smile. "Hey," he said, voice cracking.

Tifa couldn't hold in the sob as she sat next to him on the bed and kissed his forehead, her hand clutching his unhurt one. "Are you okay? What happened?" she asked him.

"Oren and I were on our way to get something to eat," Denzel said sleepily. "But as we were turning left, these guys coming down the same street were racing and they ran the red light. Don't remember much after that. I'm sorry your car got trashed."

"Don't you worry about the car," said Tifa with a watery smile. "What matters is that you and Oren are going to be okay. Your dad is outside…" she trailed off.

"Did he give you beef about all this yet?"

"Yeah," said Tifa, running her hand through his silky hair. "Zack even knocked him down for saying something disrespectful," she said with a faint smile.

Denzel didn't return it. "I don't want to see him. You tell him that if he's going to blame this on you, I won't speak to him until he apologizes," he said with a yawn, fighting sleep.

"I told you not to take sides because of our problems. He's your father and he cares about you," Tifa said, but apparently her words fell on deaf ears, since her son was asleep once again. She leaned forward to kiss his forehead again before standing and walking out of the room to check on Oren and Yuffie. Her friend was much in the same position on her son's bed, running her hands through the teen's hair. "How is he?"

Yuffie smiled faintly. "Safe, and that's all that matters." She saw Tifa open her mouth to say something, but Yuffie shook her head. "Don't you dare apologize and blame this on yourself. This could've happened any other night, and it did _not_ happen because you decided to give yourself one night with the man that you like. They're alive. A little banged up, but they'll be okay," she said seriously.

Tifa nodded and felt a small weight lift from her heart. She loved Yuffie so much. "Don't you think this would be a good moment to tell Vincent that his son had an accident?"

"Don't push me, Teef. I'm itchin' for a fight with someone, and I don't want it to be with you. I'm just trying to save it up for when I see Vincent again," said Yuffie darkly.

Tifa said nothing more as she and Yuffie walked out of the room to the people waiting outside. Zack offered her a reassuring smile and Tifa wanted nothing more than to sink into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and sighed heavily. "He's okay, but he went back to sleep just now," she said.

"I'll stay the night with you, watching over him," Zack offered, running his fingers through her hair.

Cloud watched them through narrowed eyes from a distance. Aerith watched him with a small frown and shook her head. She didn't want to think bad, but there was something about the look in Cloud's eyes that was throwing her off. She stood and walk towards him. "Do you want me to get you some coffee?"

"No. I'm fine," he said flatly. "I need to go see my son," he said, moving towards his room. He walked into the room and the sight of his son bruised and hurt snapped something inside of him, no matter that Denzel was out of danger. He stormed out of the room and stopped by Tifa, giving her a dark look. "I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I've finally come to a decision."

"What are you talking about?" Tifa snapped. Her nerves were on end as it was, and he wasn't helping at all.

"It's clear that your priorities are somewhere else," he stated, eyes darting to Zack for a moment. "I want my son to be safe, and the only way that will happen, is for me to have full custody."

"Cloud!" Aerith exclaimed as Tifa and Zack just stared at him.

Tifa glared at him, even as her eyes watered. "I'll make you a deal," she nearly spat, forcing Zack behind her when he started to move forward towards Cloud. "If you can get Denzel to willingly move in with you permanently, I will gladly sign over his custody."

"I already know that he would never do that," said Cloud darkly.

"Then how do you think a judge will rule when he takes Denzel's opinion into consideration at the custody hearing? Don't cross me Cloud, because when it comes to my son, I am twice as dangerous," she hissed before she took Zack's hand and walked him to Denzel's room.

"I'm so hot for you right now," Zack muttered to her before they entered the room.

Tifa just bit back a giggle that was half a sob and let out a long sigh. She was just happy that her son was okay and that she had Zack there with her. "Are you sure you don't want to go home and wait for me to call you?" she asked him as they settled on the small couch there in the room.

He shook his head and maneuvered her so that her head was lying on his lap comfortably. "I'll stay here for as long as you want me to. You have me to defend you now, and I won't let anything or anyone harm you," Zack stated as he ran his fingers through her hair in a soothing manner.

"I'm glad you're here Zack," she said with a long sigh, eyes drooping as she watched Denzel from where she was.

"Go to sleep, sweetheart. I'll let you know when he gets up," Zack said quietly. She just nodded and before she knew it, she was asleep.

……………………

Nearly a week later, Oren was released from the hospital, though Denzel had only stayed two and-a-half days for observation as well. Yuffie had been there every single day with her boy, brooding and thinking about Tifa's words. She understood that Vincent hadn't known that he was going to be a father, but his total abandonment had left a deep impact in her heart, and she just couldn't forgive and forget so easily. But still, he had a right to know that Oren had gotten hurt.

"Do you want to meet your father?" Yuffie asked Oren as they sat in the living room, eating pizza and watching a new movie together.

He stared at her at the abrupt question and swallowed what he had in his mouth. His eyes settled on the slice of pizza in his hand and he shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "I mean, one part of me does, while the other part says no. I guess I'm a little freaked out to find out if I'm not an only kid," Oren said, looking at her again.

"A part of me is freaked out about that too," muttered Yuffie.

"Do you still love him?"

Yuffie bit her lip and took a sip of her soda, propping her feet up on the table and staring at the really tall boots she had loved to wear since she had been a teenager herself. "I think that the resentment outweighs any type of love I may still feel for him," she admitted.

Oren nodded and felt he had just lost his appetite. Though he was still in some pain around the chest and mostly his head, the happy pills the doctor wanted him to drink required for him to eat. "Well… I guess I'd like to meet him at least once," he murmured. "Just… not yet."

Yuffie nodded and offered him a smile. "Whatever your decision, I will respect it sweetheart. It's just that he and I have some things to resolve before I let him near you. You just let me know when you're ready and I'll ask him to come over for lunch or something," she offered.

"How about making one of your cakes?" Oren asked slyly.

She narrowed her eyes at him. They both knew that her cakes were usually a disaster. "Are you getting smart with me boy? Remember, I can spike your food and drinks with untraceable poisons. You should know better than to insult a ninja's cooking."

"You love me too much to kill me," he said with a laugh, grabbing a slice of cheese pizza.

Yuffie grinned and sat back to enjoy the movie. She would worry about Vincent later. Now she would take care of her son and enjoy the leave of absence she and Tifa had taken in order to care for their sons.

………………

Zack was trying very hard to not bash his head against his desk. He had an entire stack of papers he needed to fill out to send to colleges around the country in order for them to send packages to the students interested in assisting there. Usually he did his work without complain and cheerfully, but the truth of the matter was that he was missing Tifa. On normal days, he saw her at lunch, or between classes, but she was taking care of her son and he hadn't seen her in a few days already.

She was the best thing that had happened to him in a very long time, and he knew that in time, he could see Tifa as his wife. She was amazing, and as an added bonus, he got along with Denzel better than the teen did with his own father. Now, the only roadblock he saw in the near future was Cloud. The man just didn't know when to quit. He had married another woman and still he felt as if he held some sort of power over Tifa. Well, Zack was there now to knock him down whenever Cloud felt the need to cause trouble, and though he hadn't told Tifa what he had been thinking, it had felt damn good to actually punch the fool in the mouth for getting smart.

"Gil for your thoughts, precious," said a silky voice from the doorway.

Zack looked up with a start and stared. Dressed in a smart skirt-suit that showed more leg than should have been legal, was a blonde woman with glittering green eyes. She smiled and swayed towards him seductively, her lips a cherry red. "What are you doing here?" he asked flatly, eyes cold and unflinching.

She smiled again and trailed a hand down his cheek before he was able to jerk back. "Is that any way to talk to your ex-wife?" she asked with a pout.

"What were you expecting? A parade?" he asked snidely.

"No," she replied. "But a little more friendliness," she said, trying to press a kiss to his lips.

Zack stood and moved away from her. "What are you doing here, Scarlet? You and I ended two years ago, when you ran off with Genesis. What are you doing here now? Did he find someone younger? Prettier? More natural in her looks?"

"You hurt me, precious," she said, voice taking on a hard edge. "I came back to visit you, not to start trouble."

"But trouble always was your middle name, wasn't it?" he asked her with a raised brow. "You shouldn't have come back. I don't need you around me right now," he said, walking towards his door and opening it. "I want you to leave."

Scarlet's eyes narrowed. She had a feeling that he didn't want her in his life for an important reason. "Come now, we can't even be friends anymore?"

"The moment you walked off with another man, who just so happened to be a fellow SOLDIER, was the moment you and I would never be friends or acquaintances ever again," Zack replied.

"So bitter," she replied in a teasing voice. "But we'll see each other again, precious. You haven't seen the last of me yet. And… I can't wait to meet _her_," Scarlet said with meaning. She knew that the reason that he didn't want her around was because there was another woman in his life now. Scarlet smiled to herself as she walked out the door. She needed to meet this other woman to size up the competition.

………

Tifa stirred the hot soup she was making for Denzel and hoped that he was up to eating something. She was worried because he hadn't wanted breakfast, but he needed to eat food in order to take his painkillers. She was shutting off the burner, when she heard the doorbell ring. She wiped her hands off quickly and walked for the door, hoping that it was Zack, since she hadn't seen him in a couple of days already. When she opened the door, she came face to face with a beautiful bouquet of white and red roses. She grinned and called towards the stairs. "Denzel someone brought flowers for you!"

"Aww, rain all over my gift, won't you?" Zack asked he handed over the flowers and leaned forward to kiss her slowly, trying to convey how much he had really missed her.

"The flowers are beautiful," said Tifa as she guided him to the kitchen so that she could put the flowers in a clear vase full of water. She walked out of the kitchen to place them on the dining table, and then took the moment to wrap her arms around Zack's waist in greeting. "I missed you these past few days. What took you so long to come see me?"

"Work," he said with a heavy sigh, hugging her to him and taking in the sweet scent of her hair. "But I'm here now, and I want to spend as much time as possible with you."

Tifa smiled and rubbed a thumb over his cheek. "I feel a little weird because I'm not teaching all this week and maybe the next. I'm used to working, though I know that Denzel, Oren, and Yuffie are enjoying every moment of this break."

"How are they doing?" Zack asked her.

"Oren is getting better. He still needs to go to the hospital for regular check-ups because of the concussion, but otherwise he's good. Yuffie on the other hand is very much stressing about Vincent. She wants to talk to him but at the same time she's afraid that if she has him up close, she'll bash his head in or something," said Tifa with a sigh.

"Personally, I think the kid has a right to meet his dad. I mean, it's a different story if he doesn't want to, but at least once they should get together for introductions," he said.

Tifa shrugged. "I told Yuffie that the best time would've been when her son got hurt, but she just blew me off. It's her decision in the end and I don't want to interfere," she said quietly. They were in the process of sharing another kiss, when there was a sound of gagging coming from the foot of the stairs. "What are you doing up? You should be in bed!" Tifa exclaimed as Denzel walked over to one of the couches and sat down with a small wince. "I made you soup and I won't take no for an answer."

"I just got bored of being upstairs. My ribs still ache a little, but I need some fresh air. I want to go see Oren," said Denzel in annoyance.

Zack just smirked to himself and walked over to Denzel as Tifa went to the kitchen to get him his food. He handed over a brand new game he knew the kid was waiting to buy but had not been released in stores yet. "I have connections that got me the game before it hits the stores. Just don't tell anyone and we should be okay," he said.

"Oh, awesome!" Denzel said as he looked at the game. "Thanks Zack!"

"You're welcome kid. You have a few more days off before you have to get back to school, so enjoy," Zack said with a grin.

"There's a two-player mode, wanna try it?" asked Denzel eagerly.

"Sure, just let me know where the console is and I'll get it so that we can hook it up," Zack said. Denzel gave him directions to his room and where the game console would be, but as Zack started for the stairs, the doorbell rang once again. He walked off to open the door and felt his smile die instantly.

Cloud stared right back at him with a sour look on his face and they had a moment of staring each other down before Tifa walked over to them and broke it. "I'm here to see Denzel," he said in a quiet tone.

Tifa just nodded and moved Zack so that she could open the door wider. "He's down here in the living room. Try to keep the peace with him, please?" she asked as Cloud passed her.

Zack just walked up the stairs to get the game console for Denzel. He honestly was not in the mood to deal with Cloud's bullshit at the moment, but he supposed that Tifa could handle him, since they had been sharing custody of Denzel for four years already. He just didn't want her to get hurt by anything the blond man could say to her, so he hurried to grab what he had been looking for, and grabbed a pillow and a blanket for good measure. He made his way back downstairs and handed over the pillow and blanket before beginning to set up the game console.

Cloud watched him closely, eyes slightly narrowed as he looked back at Denzel, who was getting comfortable. He just couldn't stand Zack, the man was invading all the areas that were supposed to be his. He hardly spent time with Denzel because he refused to visit more than a weekend at a time. How was he supposed to learn to be a better father if Denzel didn't give him a chance and some other man kept getting in the way?

"Alright, kid, we're done here," said Zack as he placed the game into the console and pressed the 'on' button. He took a seat next to Denzel and both proceeded to begin a game that had Denzel laughing and holding his middle in slight pain.

"Maybe it's not such a good idea for him to play this right now," said Cloud as Tifa walked out of the kitchen to pick up the empty bowl of soup. "He shouldn't be getting agitated while his ribs still ache."

"Geez, dad, don't be such a spoil sport. I haven't had any real fun since the accident and I'm dying from being indoors so much. I need a little bit of good fun, even if it causes me some pain," Denzel said in annoyance.

"You know, _I'm _the father here, and I get to have a say in your life. I want what's best for you, Denzel, that's all," said Cloud angrily.

Zack wisely kept quiet, but he knew that sooner or later, the other two would blow up without Tifa there to referee. Denzel turned to his father after pausing the game. "Why don't you be a good father, then, and just leave?"

"Don't talk to me that way, Denzel," said Cloud as he stood.

"What's going on?" asked Tifa as she moved into the room again.

"Father-son rumble," said Zack, looking at her.

Cloud turned to him and gave him the full brunt of his anger. "Don't interfere in this. You're nobody here," he bit out.

"Hey! You need to cool down!" Tifa snapped as Zack moved to his feet and faced Cloud. "You came here to see our son, and now you're taking the opportunity to rile Zack up. No. You need to leave my house in this moment and return when you've cooled your head," she said as she moved to open the door.

"Next time I'll be sure to call before I come so that I don't have to see your new boyfriend here," said Cloud sarcastically before he stormed out the door.

Tifa rubbed a hand over her face and turned to her son. "Denzel, go to your room."

"What? Why? He was the one who started it!" cried the teen, feeling slightly embarrassed that his mom was sending him to his room in front of Zack.

"I don't care who started it, Denzel. I'm sick and tired of all the arguments. There's only so much that I'm willing to put up with, but he's right. He's your father and he hasn't neglected you so far. I may not always agree with what he's thinking, but he wants what is best for you. You have to make an effort to make things work between you and your father," she said with a shake of her head.

As Denzel grumbled to himself and stood to walk his way to his bedroom, the doorbell rang once again and Tifa opened the door. She smiled at the pretty girl on the other side and realized that Denzel's punishment would have to wait. "Hello, Marlene, how are you today?"

"I'm fine, Ms. Lockhart," said Marlene as her eyes met Denzel's. "I just wanted to see how Denzel was, and my dad was in the neighborhood, so he dropped me off for a little bit."

"Well, come in, sweetheart. Make yourself at home," Tifa said as she ushered the girl in. "You know, now that you're here, would you mind watching over Denzel while Zack and I run to the grocery store quickly?"

"Okay," said Marlene, blushing slightly at the teasing look on her uncle's face. "Hey uncle Zack, I should've known you would be here," she said.

Zack nodded and kissed her forehead before moving towards the door. "Play nice, okay kids?" he asked them as Tifa grabbed her purse and her coat.

"Denzel, we'll continue our _conversation _after we come back, okay?" Tifa asked him before they both left.

Denzel turned to Marlene and they both sat on the couch, a little stiffly, and not really knowing what to say to each other. He really liked Marlene, but out of school, he found it hard to talk to her about anything. Curse his mother for having the ability to punish him without even knowing it. "You wanna play this new game Zack got me?" he asked her.

Marlene smiled and nodded. "Sure!" she exclaimed, and Denzel swore she got a little closer to him.

………

"What's with your mom's evil cake?"

Oren smirked and looked up at Gavin, who was trying to figure out what that funny taste in his mouth had been. He shrugged. "You should know better than to try any of the things my mom bakes. Just make sure you have some type of medicine that helps with the gas and the stomach ache," he said with a shrug.

Gavin set the piece of cake aside and turned to his father and Oren's mother. He would've liked to have Yuffie as his mom, but he could tell that the adults would never be more than friends. It was a shame too, his dad needed someone to be there for him.

Reno stood from where he and Yuffie had been talking and eating some type of spicy chips and walked over to his son. "We have to get going, kid. Yuffie has another engagement after this," he said.

"What's going on?" asked Oren, oblivious as to why Reno and Gavin wouldn't be staying over to barbeque the way they usually did a couple of times a month.

"I asked your father to come by today," said Yuffie with a shrug. "I think it's time for he and I to have that talk that has been years in the making." Though she wasn't exactly sure if she was making the right choice, she knew that it had to happen sooner or later, and she had never been a coward. She had been brought up as a warrior, a ninja, and she knew better than to run away from her problems.

"I don't… have to be around, do I?" Oren asked with a frown.

Yuffie shook her head. "No, you don't," she said with a reassuring smile. Then she turned to Reno. "Why don't you take him for a little bit? Just make sure that he doesn't lift anything, or that he doesn't get too riled up. His head and ribs still ache," she said with a sigh.

"Whatever I can do to help, babe," he said moving with her towards the door. Both teens walked out ahead of them, while Yuffie hung back with Reno. "You sure you'll be okay?" he asked, running a thumb over her cheek.

"I have to be," said Yuffie. "For the sake of my son, I have to be."

Reno nodded and leaned forward to press a small kiss to her lips, both unaware of the car that was pulling up behind his. When he pulled away, Yuffie turned and her eyes met with red. Her breath caught in her chest and she was left speechless once again.

"I'll bring the kid back later," Reno said to her.

"Okay, thanks Reno," she said with a slight smile. The smile died when she turned back to Vincent, who was looking at Oren as he got into the car. He hadn't changed much, she realized once again. The day she had seen him at the grocery story, she had been too out of her mind to notice all the little changes. His face was harder, sharper, and his long hair made him appear even more handsome and mysterious. Leviathan, Oren had his exact face, and though she had known it, just by looking at her son, it was like a kick to the stomach when the proof was standing right in front of you.

"Hello, Yuffie," he said softly. Even his voice was deeper and harder.

"Vincent. It's been a long time," she replied. "We have so much to discuss," she said as she motioned to her home. He began to walk towards it, and as he did, Yuffie took the moment to take a few calming breaths. She had been itching for a fight, and hopefully today would be the day when she got one.

…

…

…

…

…

…

Okay, don't murder me for leaving it at another cliffy. I know not much happened in this chapter, but the action is coming up in the next. I can't say what will happen, but it's going to be good, I promise. At least in this one Cloud got his, and we finally see more of Vincent, but that's all for now. Oh, and what's with Zack's ex? What problems will she cause? Anyway, thanks so much for taking the time to read my fic, and for those of you who reviewed in the last chapter, thank you so much, you know who you are, and this chapter goes to you.

I'm also happy to say that I passed Crisis Core already—though I bet you're rolling your eyes at me because I have too much time on my hands—but it really doesn't help knowing that Zack dies in the end. I'm not giving away any spoilers—since we all know that in AC he's dead, but that last scene is so sad, I honestly cried. If anyone cares to discuss the hinted couples in the game, feel free to PM me and I will gladly reply. I hope everyone had fun with this chapter, though it was mostly a filler, and feel free to let me know what you thought. Have a great week everyone!

Joey

P.S. I am aware that there are many typos and grammatical errors in every chapter, but it pains me to admit that I'm a lazy bum and have yet to correct them. Usually I print a copy of the chapter, correct it, but I don't always have the time to fix them. Sorry if it throws anyone off, but I'll do it soon!


	7. Confrontations

_Warnings: Adult situation towards the middle. Don't read if you don't like!_

…………………………………

**Confrontations**

…………………………………

"That man that just left… who was he?" asked Vincent as Yuffie motioned towards the living room so that they could sit down.

Yuffie's eyes narrowed at his question. "That's none of your business. You're here to talk about Oren, aren't you?"

"I want to talk about you too," he replied.

"I didn't call you here so that we could talk about me. We're here to talk about _your son_," said Yuffie in a low tone.

Vincent swallowed hard at her confirmation. "Where is he now?"

"He left with his friend. He's not ready to meet you just yet," said Yuffie, ignoring the flinch in his eyes. He deserved that and more. "I showed him pictures of you and he knows who you are, but it's up to him whether he wants to meet you or not."

"I never meant for things to happen this way. I am sorry," he said, not meeting her gaze.

Yuffie nodded once. "Despite the fact that you mean nothing to me now," and she knew it was a bold faced lie, "I never once tried to put him against you. He doesn't hate you, but he doesn't know you."

Vincent nodded. "How… did you fare all these years with him? Are you married? Did you raise him on your own?" he asked quietly.

Yuffie nodded. "I have been all that he has needed. I took care of him myself and I only had Tifa's help. Though it was hard to take care of a child on my own, he never lacked anything."

"I suppose you want an explanation as to why I left," said Vincent, taking a moment to admire her beauty. She was a grown woman, but she had retained her youthful good looks. He could still remember the day he had met her back when they had been fifteen-year-olds. His childhood and lack of stay-at-home parents had turned him into a brooding recluse. She had been like a ball of sunshine to his darkness and she had befriended him even when he had been rude and unfriendly. After weeks of tolerating her one-sided conversations, he had finally started to respond, mostly to see if she would finally shut up, but he had found that he had enjoyed their conversations.

It hadn't taken him very long to open up to her and to start to like her. By the time they had been seniors, she was his girlfriend and they had been each other's first lover. In his heart he had known that she would be the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, but then he had met… Never mind, that was the past and he had destroyed something beautiful by leaving her behind alone and pregnant.

"An explanation would be nice, but I doubt it will make me change the way I think of you and have thought of you all these years… as a coward," said Yuffie flatly.

Vincent let out a sigh and shook his head. "Maybe it was a bad idea for me to come see you today," he said before standing.

"Geez, Vincent, is running away all you know how to do in life?" she exploded, shoving at his shoulder. "It's been more than sixteen years and all you can say for yourself is that maybe it was a bad idea to come talk to me about our son?! What were you expecting from me? A fucking _welcome home party?!_"

Vincent took her volume and the physical pain in his shoulder because he understood her anger and her resentment. "I didn't leave willingly, Yuffie!" he exclaimed over her loud voice. She gave him a furious look and opened her mouth to keep telling him off, but his next words stopped her cold. "Your father basically threatened me to leave the damned city!"

"What? What the hell are you talking about?" she hissed, not believing what he was saying.

His ruby red eyes shined with an emotion she hadn't seen since the day he had broken her heart. "I loved you with all I was capable of back in high school. I was going to ask you to marry me after graduation, but your father came to see me in my own home. He didn't want us to be together. He said that you had duties to attend to back in your country and that I wasn't worthy enough of you. He said that he had to step in because things had started to get too serious between you and me, and that it couldn't be because you had been promised to another man from the moment you had been born."

Yuffie shook her head in disbelief, but those words seemed right on the mark when concerning her father, Godo. "Why didn't you just tell me all of this instead of just breaking up with me and tearing my heart in two?" she asked dryly.

"He told me that if I didn't leave, he would disown you and that it was your biggest dream to rule over Wutai, the way your mother had done. He convinced me that if I stayed with you, it would ruin your chances and that it would break your heart. That I would make you miserable and that the best thing I could do was leave the city," said Vincent.

"That title has never mattered to me. My mother understood that I would never be able to rule Wutai and be happy and she accepted my way of thinking. She knew I would never take control. My father had other thoughts and he was about to marry me off to some stranger when we found out that I was pregnant. So you see, everything went to hell after you left. Had you bothered to talk to me about all this, you would've known that I had no intentions of ever going back to Wutai to rule. But you made all the decisions yourself, and you broke my heart and forced my son to grow up without a father for nothing," she said in defeat.

Vincent felt a heavy burden settle more firmly over his heart at her words. "I truly am sorry," he said quietly.

"So am I, but you need to leave. I can't look at you right now," she said, voice cracking slightly in the end.

He nodded in acceptance. "I never wanted to hurt you, you must understand that," he said before walking towards the door.

Yuffie gnawed on her lip as she watched him go and move towards him without thinking. "One question," she said to his back when he didn't turn. He nodded once. "Do you love your wife?"

Vincent stiffened slightly and moved to gaze at her out of the corner of his eye. "I don't think I want to discuss that with you," he said quietly, with no scorn or any type of emotion in his voice. "For what it's worth, I loved you with all my heart back in high school and I did what I thought would make you happy," he said before he walked out the door.

Yuffie slammed the door shut and let the tears go. "But you don't love me anymore," she whispered to herself. She pressed her back to the door and slid down to sit on the floor, her tears flowing nonstop. She cursed her father for ruining all their lives, and she cursed Vincent because she found that even now, she loved him.

……………………

A million and one thoughts were running through her head as she stopped in front of a majestic home that had once been her own. She had been an impulsive and capricious girl all of her life, but she had changed after Kadaj. She had run into Sephiroth's arms because she had been angry and hurt that Cloud and Tifa had become so serious after just a few months. Then after graduation, she had heard rumors that Tifa had been pregnant, and that had steered her on.

She had dated Sephiroth and had enjoyed the way he made her feel while she had been in his arms, but they had been careless. After only two months of being together, the stick had been positive, and so had been the next five she had taken after a few days of morning sickness. She hadn't wanted to keep the baby, but Sephiroth hadn't given her the choice. Despite the fact that she hadn't felt ready to have a child, all those months she had cared for herself and for the tiny baby that had slowly grown inside of her. Though she had tried to keep a sort of wall between her and her child, love had bloomed in her heart.

When Kadaj had been born, and she had held him in her arms for the very first time, something inside of her had changed. As she gazed into those deep green eyes that were so like her own, she had been convinced in her heart that she would never be a good enough mother for him, and she had left him and Sephiroth. That had been the hardest decision she had made in her entire life, and she had cried for months, years after she had left them. She had never loved Sephiroth the way she had Cloud, but she had felt something for him. But Kadaj… her baby… she had made the worst decision of her life the day she had left him behind.

Aerith got out of her car and walked slowly towards the door, feeling her hands go cold and clammy. She was walking automatically, almost like a robot, but she made it, and she knocked the door, praying desperately that Sephiroth wasn't the one who answered because he would surely kick her out. The door swung open and she came face to face with her eyes in a handsome face that was framed by silver hair. The teen looked at her with a frown and she looked at him with wide eyes. "Uh… hello," she said finally.

"Hello," he muttered, giving her a strange look. "Can I help you with something?"

Aerith nodded and managed a smile. "I just… I came to check up on you."

"Why?" he asked flatly. "Aren't you a teacher at school? Teachers don't usually make house calls, especially to students who aren't in any of their classes."

"I know… I know you don't like to speak of your mother, but I knew her long ago. She was a friend of mine and I've been watching you from afar—as a favor to her—making sure that you're okay," said Aerith rapidly.

Instantly the curiosity died in his eyes and they became cold and distant, in that moment, he resembled his father more than ever. "If you've been watching over me, you must know that my mother is the person that I most hate in this world," he said quietly.

"And I'm sorry you feel that way," she said, eyes studying the floor as she tried to get her emotions in check. She had expected his words, even heard what he had said to Tifa and his father that day at school, but to have it said to her face… it hurt more than anything she could've thought possible. There would be no way of fixing things between them if he hated her so much.

"What are you doing here?" asked a much deeper voice from behind Kadaj.

Aerith looked up and bit her lip, hoping that he didn't give anything away in front of their son. Unfortunately, she wasn't capable of articulating any words or excuses with his cold, green gaze on her. She knew that she had hurt him too, despite his cold and uncaring appearance, she knew that there had been a good man underneath it all. What _could _she say to him now that they were face to face and with no one else around?

"She says she knew the woman who spawned me and that they were old friends," said Kadaj with a shrug.

Sephiroth's cold eyes settled on her again and he smirked faintly. "Did she really? I didn't think your mother had any friends," he said to his son. "She was a selfish woman."

"I can't say I'm surprised," Kadaj replied, turning to see that Aerith looked a little put out by their words. "You can't possibly defend your _friend_ after knowing that she abandoned me. Aren't dads usually the ones who leave their kids behind? It must take a really cold heart to abandon a kid and never look back."

Aerith shook her head. "This wasn't the case," she said, voice cracking. "Aren't you even curious to hear her side?"

Sephiroth glared at her and motioned towards the door. "She had a chance to return and make things right long ago, but she didn't. It's too late to fix anything now," he said with dark meaning. Before Aerith could reply, there was a knock at the door. Sephiroth looked at Kadaj. "Are you expecting anyone?"

The teen shook his head. "No," he replied with a frown.

Sephiroth opened the door and Aerith felt the breath 'woosh' out of her body when she came face to face with… "Cloud," she murmured. She doubted he knew Sephiroth or Kadaj, so he must have seen her car outside, or maybe he had caught her getting out of the car and walking into the house.

Cloud's eyes narrowed slightly when he recognized the dean, the man who was close friends with Zack Fair. He looked at the teenager standing there, looking bored, and wondered what he had walked into. "I saw you get out of the car and come in here," he said to Aerith.

She swallowed quickly and looked at all the three, still not knowing what to say. "Uh… I'm an old friend of Kadaj's mother," she said, voice a bit wobbly.

"Why don't you tell him the truth?" asked Sephiroth, a smug aura about him.

"W-what?" she asked, feeling on the verge of passing out because of her nerves.

"What truth?" asked Cloud suspiciously.

Sephiroth smirked evilly when she paled. "Tell him that we're old friends too. We knew each other after she graduated from high school," he said.

"I just wanted to check on Kadaj," Aerith said weakly, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"Yeah, well, as you can see, I'm fine," muttered Kadaj. "And if you still keep in touch with my mother, tell her I'm happy without her and that she can rot in the deepest pits of hell," he said with a smile before walking off.

Sephiroth did not smile or laugh or offer any comment after what Kadaj had said. He could tell that the words had hurt her, but he would do nothing to make her feel better or worse. He was so over everything, Aerith didn't even deserve his pity. He turned to her husband and gave him a flat look. "If you two don't mind, I have things to do," he said curtly.

"Aerith," said Cloud.

She nodded and her eyes met Sephiroth's once before she walked out the front door, Cloud following her. "I didn't mean to not tell you. I just found myself in the neighborhood and I wanted to check in on Kadaj," she murmured.

Cloud took her hands in his and looked into her glassy eyes. There was a part of him, deep deep inside that was still suspicious of her reasons. "That's okay," he murmured. "I'll see you at home?"

Aerith nodded and got into her car as he walked off to his and then drove away. She sat there for a long moment, trying to get Kadaj's words out of her head. He had a right to hate her, but that fact didn't make it any less painful. From a hidden place underneath her seat, she pulled out the photo Denzel had found a few weeks before. She stared at herself, holding the tiny, silver-haired baby with matching green eyes and tried to hold in her tears. She had no right to interfere in his life, no matter how much her heart longed to. She wiped at the picture with her sleeve when the tears fell one by one. She knew she had made the biggest mistake of her life when she had walked out on them, but they hadn't been the only ones hurt by it all.

She was completely unaware that from a window, Sephiroth was watching her cry into her hands. He didn't want to feel pity for her. She just didn't deserve it and he couldn't bring himself to lower his guard in order to feel pity for her. Aerith had hurt both him and Kadaj when she had left, and he had no desire to go through any more hurt for her. He just wouldn't risk his heart anymore. So he turned away from her tears and her obvious sorrow and walked away.

………………

Tifa didn't know what woke her up from her warm, peaceful sleep, but she lay there for a few seconds, blinking into the dark. The sound of a steady and strong heartbeat was against her ear, and she smiled to herself as a hand rubbed up and down a strong, muscled chest. Zack had stayed over the night with her, though nothing naughty would happen between them with Denzel so close by. She had reasoned with herself that her son was completely knocked out thanks to the pain pills given to him by his doctor, and when she had checked on him, her boy had been sound asleep, not even stirring when she had tucked him in and kissed his forehead.

She had gone to sleep with the feel of Zack's strong body wrapped around her, warm and safe. She hadn't realized how much she had missed going to sleep with a man in her bed until she had felt Zack next to her. He was so cute when he slept, breathing only a little bit deeper but with no snores. His spikes were pointing everywhere, but his bed hair only made him all the more handsome to her.

What was it about the man that just made her forget all the trouble she had gone through with Cloud? Well, first off Yuffie was right, all he ever tried to do was make her smile. There had been a couple of his jokes that just flew over her head, but normally she understood them all and laughed because they were genuinely funny. He didn't get tired of telling her that she was beautiful and that he was a lucky guy because she was all his. He got along with Denzel better than her son did with his own father. All in all, he was perfect.

Tifa kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and for some type of evil split personality to arise, but so far everything had been good. She ran a hand across his chest, feeling the hard muscle that she'd only been able to touch once, since the night that Denzel and Oren had gotten into their accident. She couldn't deny that she wouldn't mind doing it again, but… She started when his hand came up and grabbed hers around the wrist.

"You were getting a little too down south for comfort," he said, voice thick with sleep.

Tifa was thankful that the darkness hid her blush and moved over to press a kiss over his heart. "Sorry," she murmured, rising onto her elbow to look down at him. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Zack smiled in the darkness and turned onto his side, his lips searching hers as she melted into him. "I wouldn't mind if you were to wake me like this every night," he murmured, trailing kisses down her throat as she let out a breathy sigh.

"But Denzel is nearby," she protested as his hands roamed under her oversized shirt, touching and squeezing.

"You said yourself that he was completely knocked out because of his medications. If you're still worried, just don't make a sound," he whispered as one hand pushed her panties down her legs, moving back up in a gentle caress.

Tifa bit back a loud moan as his fingers worked her gently, unlike anything she had ever felt. When he was satisfied with the way she was biting her lip and clutching at his shoulders, he pulled of her shirt and got rid of his boxers and shorts, moving over her, kissing and touching her slowly, so slowly. Zack sucked her bottom lip as he moved over her, sliding deep and tight into her body. Tifa arched against him, trying to keep her gasps and breathing under control, but there wasn't much she could do with the way Zack was moving against her, inside her. She could feel her body surrendering to the pleasure and wished she could cover her own mouth, but his fingers were entwined with hers and he had placed her hands above her head so that she wouldn't scratch at his back.

His kisses were feverish and his movements were long and sure. She knew it had been amazing the first time, but now all she wanted to do was call out her pleasure to what he was doing to her, but she couldn't. She had to keep her wits about her, no matter how difficult he was making it. She didn't know how long it had been since they had started, all she knew was pleasure and heat for a long moment. There were no words between them, only his blue eyes on her mahogany, trying to convey to each other what they were feeling at the moment.

"Zack… god… I'm going to…" she gasped as his movements sped up.

He watched her, mesmerized the same way he had been their first time. She was beautiful, and he realized that he had never felt anything like what he was feeling at the moment. He didn't know if it was love, desire, lust, or everything rolled into one. His mouth moved to her breasts and he took one in his mouth, sucking hard as suddenly stiffened and let out a long, low moan as her body came apart under his. He didn't stop and just as she began to come down from her peak, he reached his own, a ragged groan leaving his mouth and muffled by her hair.

Tifa blinked lazily into the darkness of her room and couldn't stop the dopey, sleepy smile on her face. She ran her fingers through Zack's hair and hugged him tightly to her. "I don't think I'll have any problems sleeping after that," she whispered into his ear, shivering as he chuckled against her.

"I was having no problems sleeping before that either way, but I'm not complaining," he said, moving to his side and off of her. He ran careful fingers over her cheek and jaw and leaned in for a kiss as he turned her chin to him. It was sweet and slow, and full of all that he felt for her.

Tifa sighed sleepily against him and smiled. What had she been thinking about when she had woken up?

………………

After another week of leave, and of a few more nights shared with Zack, Tifa returned to teaching. Denzel hadn't been particularly happy to be back in school, but Tifa had seen the way his eyes had lit up when Marlene had wrapped her arms around him in greeting. His cousin, who had visited him a few times with his parents while he had been in the hospital, also welcomed him back along with their friends. Oren had already been there at school, looking much the same as Denzel, not happy to be back to their studies.

The best part of the morning, Tifa mused, had been to find Zack waiting for her in the parking lot with a cappuccino in his hand, just for her. The worst part of her day had been officially lunch. He was trying to explain to her the fact that his ex-wife was back in town and that he had gone to see him a week before. She understood that he felt nothing for the woman, or that he had kicked her out before she could say thing, but there was one thing she didn't understand.

"Why are you telling me this a week later?" she asked, eyes narrowed.

Zack swallowed hard at the fire he could see in those beautiful eyes. He had never seen the look directed towards himself, it had always been for Cloud, and Zack didn't like being on the other end of it. "I—Teef, I just thought that with Denzel and Oren all banged up, that I couldn't add onto your list of worries."

"Should I be worried about this woman?" she asked flatly.

_Was there a right or wrong answer?_ Zack asked himself. He wondered if he was digging his hole deeper. Where was Seph when he needed him? "Of course not," he said after a brief hesitation. Her eyes narrowed a little more. "At least not in my part, on hers, I'm not so sure."

"Hmph, when do I get to meet her?" asked Tifa, going back to the fruit salad she would no longer share with him.

Zack shrugged, growing annoyed with the subject of his ex-wife. "Tifa, the last thing I want is to keep speaking with that woman. She is not my favorite of people and I would really like it if we kept her far away from us. She and I are over with and I don't ever want you to doubt that you are the only person who matters to me now," he said seriously, blue eyes on hers the entirety of his small speech.

Tifa felt her annoyance drain out of her, completely gone. God, what had this man done to her? She gave him a half smile that made him smile brightly. He was so handsome, sometimes he made her catch her breath. "Fine," she murmured, deciding that she would share her fruit salad with him again. "Just… don't keep things from me, Zack. I want you to be honest with me."

He nodded and took her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "I promise to tell you if she comes lurking around," he said, trying for humor. She nodded and they went back to their food. Once they finished and walked out of the lunchroom, a brief kiss was shared before they went their separate ways.

As Tifa rounded a corner, she spotted Aerith standing by the open doors of the building, staring out into the senior court. She had a hand over her heart and she looked so sad. Tifa felt her heart call out to the friend she had once cherished as much as Yuffie. She slowly walked over and spotted who Aerith was looking at. Though there was no way Tifa would take her side for abandoning her own son, she knew her old friend must have been hurting.

"He's grown into a handsome boy," Tifa murmured.

Aerith started and turned to her, eyes wide. "What are you talking about?" she asked, trying for confusion and failing.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about," Tifa replied. "I know everything Aerith. I know that _he's_ your son," she said cryptically.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Aerith in a shaky voice, turning to walk away.

Tifa followed her to her classroom, noting that it smelled much like a florists place would. There were flowers everywhere, of every kind and they looked perfectly cared for. "Do you really want to play that game with me? I know that you're the mother of Sephiroth's son, a baby you abandoned years ago and never bothered to see again. How could you? How could you leave behind such an important part of you?" she asked quietly.

Aerith shook her head, sending her long braid over one shoulder. "You wouldn't understand, even if I told you what I felt. But I know that I was stupid and foolish to leave him behind. I just… I can't take it back anymore and he hates me with all of his heart," she cried, tears falling from her pretty, green eyes.

"I won't judge you, but I'm trying to understand. I would've given up my life for Denzel, had I been required to. I would've never have missed his first word, or his first steps, or the first time he got sick. He's half of me and I love him more than anything," she whispered. "Did you not love him while he grew inside of you?"

Aerith let out a bitter laugh, using one of those generic tissues to wipe at her eyes. "Of course I did. I tried not to get too attached because there was a moment when I didn't want to be a mother, but I understood that he was a living part of me. That he needed me. When he was born, I was convinced that I didn't deserve him because I was a foolish girl who hadn't wanted him in the beginning. So I just left. I cried and cried for many nights, but I didn't have the courage to go back to Kadaj or his father and you don't know how much I regret it," she said, breath hitching.

"I don't know what to tell you to make you feel better," Tifa murmured sadly. "But it's not too late. You need to tell Kadaj now, before he becomes a full adult. There's still time for you to fix things between you."

Aerith shook her head, looking dejected. "There isn't. He hates more than anything and he will never forgive me. I know because I've spoken to him. I know exactly what he thinks of me, and so do you for that matter. I can't go back on all the damage I've done," she replied. They were silent for a long moment. "Thank you, for letting me talk about this. I know things went down hill between us after high school, but for what it's worth, you were the best friend I ever had."

Tifa nodded and managed a small smile. "Don't ever hesitate to ask me if you need someone to talk to. I'll always be here," she said, patting the other woman's shoulder once before she walked out of her classroom as the bell rang.

Aerith watched her go and felt guilt for also breaking her friendship with Tifa. Cloud had always been a sore point between the two of them, but now he was with her, and Aerith had seen Tifa with a new man in her life. There was no reason why they couldn't mend their broken friendship. She needed a friend who knew her predicament now, more than ever. She didn't know how she would be able to handle Kadaj's rejection without talking to anyone. She dried her eyes and powdered her face before her first students began to walk into the classroom. There would be time enough to mourn her broken motherhood and friendships later. Right now she would talk about her favorite thing, flowers.

…………………

Oren paced his room for the fortieth time and looked at the clock. That… that man would be there soon. He was nervous and he didn't know if he had made the right decision by asking his mother to tell his father that he wanted to meet him. There were so many conflicting emotions going through his head, he didn't know what to think. He was curious to meet the man face to face, but he was also apprehensive. He didn't know this man, and though his father hadn't even known that he had been born, he had still left his mother behind.

Oren knew all about Godo. His mother had told him everything that day she had spoken to his father, but still… he had left and hadn't even tried to contact her to verify that she had married another man. He hadn't even bothered to look for another solution when Godo had threatened him. Oren didn't know his grandfather, mainly because his mother had been disowned for getting pregnant out of wedlock, and also because she felt so much resentment for the old man. He just knew that sooner or later, his mom would find the time to go to Wutai to tell off his grandfather.

"O?"

He started at the nickname he hadn't heard from his mother since he had been a pre-teen. "Yeah?" he asked, running a hand through his short hair.

"He's here," said Yuffie. "He's waiting for you in the living room. Now, I'm going to go over to hang with Tifa for a while. I just… I can't be in the same room with him without wanting to skin him alive," she said.

"Despite the fact that you know old Godo is to blame in all of this?" Oren asked her.

Yuffie nodded. "I'm a little conflicted. I understand what kind of power my father had back then, but he didn't trust me enough to be honest with me," she murmured sadly. Then she smiled. "The way you see him is up to you. I don't want my problems with him to influence your relationship with your father. Okay?"

Oren nodded and followed her out the door and towards the living room. He felt his hands go cold as he looked at the man who he had wanted to meet desperately when he had been a child. Now, he wasn't so sure anymore. He had been absent from most of his life, he didn't feel the need to have him in his life anymore. Oren cleared his throat and shook hands with the man. "I'm… uh… Oren Kisaragi," he muttered.

"Vincent Valentine," said his father. He looked the boy over and felt a swell of pride in his chest. This tall, handsome boy was his son. Though sorrow ached in his heart for not being in his life, he was happy that Oren had grown up healthy and happy with his mother.

Yuffie watched her son and wished she could've protected him from everything, even the awkwardness of meeting his father after sixteen years of absence. She sighed to herself and grabbed her bag and car keys. "I'll see you later, Oren. Vincent, try to be understanding?" she asked him.

Vincent looked at her and wanted to stop her as she walked out the door, but he knew that what Yuffie needed now was distance from him. Their last conversation hadn't gone the way he had wanted it to and he no longer knew how to approach her. She wasn't the girl he had been in love with in high school anymore, now she was a woman who had raised a son on her own and who was stronger and too far away for him to reach her now. "I… I don't really know what to say to you," he admitted.

Oren watched him cautiously. "How about starting with why you left and never bothered to contact my mother when you said that she was the love of your life? Was it all lies? Was that why you left so easily?" he asked quietly.

Vincent sighed heavily. "I wasn't the most stable of kids back then. My parents were never home, and then my mother died. I clung to Yuffie as my life support, and she meant the world to me, but her father made me think that I would never be good enough and that she deserved better than me. I believed him," he replied.

"Do you have any kids, do you love your wife?" Oren asked.

"Did your mother tell you to ask me that?" Vincent asked roughly.

Oren frowned in confusion and shook his head. "No. Of course not. She's been quiet when it comes to you and she doesn't want her problems with you to affect what I think. These questions are things _I _want to know."

"I… Lucrecia and I have a daughter. She's ten, and yes, I do love my wife," Vincent replied.

"Do you still love my mother?" Oren asked quietly.

Vincent started at the question. "I… don't want to talk about that with you."

Oren was quiet for a long moment. "I don't know what to think of you. At this point in my life, I don't need you to be here."

The older man let out a heavy sigh but did not betray the sadness he was truly feeling at the boy's words. He should've expected it really, the teen was almost a man, he was right when he said that he didn't need him. "But… you are my son," he said, a bit of emotion creeping into his tone. "I want to be a part of your life. I want to fix what I broke at least a little bit."

Oren felt his heart squeeze in his chest. He knew he should've said no, but there was a part of him that wanted to get to know the man despite all that had happened. But… what would his mom say? Would she feel betrayed by him? His mother had always tried to be strong for him, after all, she was a descendant of a long line of real ninjas, a real clan, strength was one of her best qualities, but she had been so sad whenever she thought of his father. He remembered her words before she had left him and his father alone. His mouth spoke before his brain could stop him. "I play football a few times a month. I won't be back until next month, but… I can call you to let you know when exactly," he offered.

Vincent managed a small smile and nodded. "I would like that very much."

…………

The following school day, Zack found himself buried under another mountain of paperwork. He didn't mind the work, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to have lunch with Tifa in the teachers lounge. Maybe she would come have lunch with him there, he thought as he looked at his watch. Five minutes to lunch and he was dead hungry. There was a knock at the door after the bell rang for lunch and he smiled pleasantly. He couldn't wait to see what Tifa had cooked for them. "Come in," he called towards the door, signing a few papers before placing them inside of a black portfolio.

The door opened and then shut, the sound of heels hitting the floor. Strange, Tifa didn't usually wear heels to the school, too many hours on her feet. He looked up and rolled his eyes in annoyance. "What are _you_ doing here again? I thought I told you to leave me alone."

"Now, precious, I'm here to have lunch with you. what's so wrong about two friends having a bite and talking of old times?" Scarlet asked with a sensuous smile.

"The fact that I have a girlfriend makes it wrong," muttered Zack as he stood and walked over to stand in front of her. Despite her dangerously tall high-heels, he was still taller than her by a few good inches.

She let out a small laugh. "Goodness, Zack, we aren't in high school anymore."

"Well, I'll propose to her soon enough, so it doesn't matter what I call her now," he replied dryly.

The smile on her face faded a notch, but she took the moment to lean towards him to try to kiss him again, a hand pressed to his chest. Zack didn't know if the fates were against him, but in that same moment there was a knock at the door before it opened.

Tifa blinked with wide eyes, noticing the way Zack had been trying to inch away from the blonde woman who was trying to… kiss him. Her eyes narrowed and she tried to look nonchalant. "Am I interrupting something?" Tifa asked as Zack looked at her in alarm.

…

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Hehe, how was that? I liked this chapter and I'm fairly pleased on how it's going. Now, there are still many loose ends and the next chapter will probably have more action, maybe even a cat fight between Tifa and Scarlet, I don't know if I want to include that yet. Also, not everything will be a walk in the park between parents and their kids in the following chapters, so I'll warn you. Eventually, this _will_ be a Vincent/Yuffie, and probably a Sephiroth/Aerith. I will actually give her character a try, and I hope I did well in this chapter. I want to thank the people who reviewed the last chapter, and also those of you lurking but not reviewing.

Come on peeps, I don't demand reviews but with the hits that each chapter is getting, at least give a shout out, or some constructive criticism. I haven't gotten a flame in any of my fics so far, but if you are going to flame, at least have a justifiable reason behind it. Either way, it's good to see that so many people are checking out this fic, it makes me happy—though reviews make me happier. Just remember that reviews feed the muse and make an author want to write faster to please the audience. Anyway, enough of my rambling, I wish everyone has a great week and I hope to have another chapter out soon!

Joey


	8. Comfort

…………………………………

**Comfort**

…………………………………

Scarlet smiled like the cat that had caught the canary. "This must be your new _girlfriend_," she said, almost purring the last word.

Tifa stepped further into the room and left the door open behind her. "And you must be the ex," she said, eyeing the woman discretely. Zack had been married to a woman like that? Though Tifa was aware that she herself was prettier than average, the woman in front of her was like a blonde bombshell. She had deep green eyes, a curvaceous figure, and impeccable clothes.

Zack sighed heavily to himself. He hoped that both women stayed civil towards each other. "Tifa, this is Scarlet. Scarlet, this is my girlfriend, Tifa," he said, a bit reluctant. Both women ignored the introduction.

"Did Zack tell you that I was his girlfriend before I arrived?" Tifa asked slowly.

Scarlet looked at the man next to her and smiled smugly. "Yes, he did."

Tifa stared her down. "Then why, if you knew, would you try to kiss him? Did his words go in through one ear and out the other?"

Scarlet's eyes went cold as she looked at Tifa. "It was just a kiss of an old friend. Don't feel insecure about his feelings towards you just because of that."

The brunette scoffed quietly. "I'm not insecure," she said dryly. "If I were, I would've clawed out your eyes by now. I just… want to make one thing clear," she said, noticing that Zack was watching her with wide eyes. "Zack is with me now, and I don't appreciate it when another woman keeps… _sniffing _at him," she said with a faint smirk, her insult towards the other woman obvious. "Have some respect and go back to the man you left him for. You have nothing left here."

Scarlet resisted the urge to slap that look off the other woman's face. She could see why Zack was interested in the frumpy house-wife type she appeared to be. She turned back to her ex husband and gave him a smug look. "Your taste really has fallen quite low, but if you like it, I can't do a thing about it," she said. "I'll see you around, _precious_."

Zack and Tifa watched the blonde walk out in silence. The brunette then turned to him and gave him a serious look. He offered her a smile and tried to make himself look as sweet as possible. "Wow," he muttered. "I think that's the hottest thing I have ever seen. You looked amazing while you were telling her off."

Tifa felt her tension drain away and offered Zack a smile as she moved into his arms. "Well, somebody had to put her in her place, right? Or are you angry because of what I said to her?"

"Of course not," Zack muttered before he moved in for a kiss. "I'm beyond turned on… you're hot when you're jealous."

"I wasn't jealous," said Tifa, looking and sounding like a pouting child. "I just wanted her to know that I won't share you with anyone."

Zack grinned and ran a hand through her silky hair, enjoying how the smooth strands caressed his fingers. "Well, jealous or not, I wish we were somewhere more private where I could show you just how much I liked seeing you react that way."

Tifa couldn't hide the little blush the bloomed over her cheeks at his words. "Hmm, and here I cooked you a delicious… _eggplant_, that I thought you might enjoy for lunch today. Should I give it to someone else?"

"An eggplant?" Zack asked, giving her a strange look. "By all means, please take it back. Give it to Yuffie or something," he said with a small chuckle.

She really hadn't cooked him an eggplant, but she had wanted to see his reaction. "So that means that you won't eat something I cooked especially for you?" she asked, going for that puppy-eyed look.

Zack looked at her, clearly torn between being disgusted at the eggplant and chagrined at having hurt her feelings. He let out a sigh and hung his head. "Fine. I'll eat the… the _eggplant_," he said, forcing the word out.

Tifa smirked and grabbed the lunch back from where she had set it down on a chair, a big smile lighting her face as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Just because you were such a great boyfriend and you would eat something bizarre that I cooked up, this is your reward," she said brightly.

Zack opened the food container and was met with a beautiful piece of roast beef with white rice. His eyes narrowed and he shot to his feet, catching her small shriek in his mouth as he kissed her. His lips and tongue worked hers until she was putty in his hands, but he had to keep in mind where they were and the fact that they couldn't get any deeper than a kiss. He pulled away from her and couldn't help the smug grin on his face. "That's your reward for being so manipulative," he said before sitting down and grabbing his food.

Tifa just stared at him dumbly for a few seconds before she snapped out of it and shot him a glare. "That was dirty," she said darkly, taking a seat in front of him.

"No, dirty was tricking me into thinking that I had to eat an eggplant today," he said with a small shudder before they began to eat.

………………

Cloud didn't know why he couldn't find it in himself to be happy for Tifa. She certainly looked happy with Fair, but there was just something that threw him off about the other man. But the smile on her face, the way her eyes would light up when she gazed at the other man… why couldn't he get over his stupid sense of possessiveness already? He had left her for Aerith, and there was no turning back. Cloud had a feeling that even if he did want to go back, Tifa wouldn't ever take him into her life ever again.

But something deep in his gut seethed silently as he put his things into the trunk of his car and watched as Tifa and Fair stopped by her car and the man leaned in to kiss her. Cloud tightened his lips into a straight line. He loved Aerith. He loved Aerith. He looked up at Tifa. He loved… Tifa. No. He loved Aerith. He had no right to realize that he loved two women, especially when he had left one for the other. He was just being stupid. He needed to get away from it all. But it appeared that his body wasn't listening to his mind's plea as he watched Zack leave and he began to approach Tifa, who was still at her car.

"Hey," he murmured.

Tifa looked up and her smiled dimmed some. "Hello, Cloud. Can I help you with something?"

"I love you," he blurted, mentally slapping himself.

She froze and looked at him. "What?" she asked, a frown on her pretty face. "I know I did not just hear you say that to me."

"I'm sorry!" he said quickly. "But there's no other way to explain what it is that I feel every time I see you with him. I know it's stupid and selfish and that I'm hurting you and Aerith, but I…"

"You're a married man!" Tifa hissed. "You chose to leave me and go to her. You chose to break up our family. You don't have the right to go back and your decision and tell me that you love me. You had your chance to be with me and you blew it," she said seriously.

"I don't want you with him, Tifa," said Cloud, almost pleading for her to understand. He still couldn't believe all he was saying to her and he wondered if he had lost all control over his mind and mouth.

Tifa's eyes darkened in anger. "I love him, Cloud, and I am not going to allow you to stand in my way of being happy." Tifa felt as if Cloud had hit her with a sledgehammer right between the eyes, but despite that, she knew that her love for Zack was true. She hadn't yet admitted it to him, but she felt it in her heart.

"I stand by my choice of having Denzel with me permanently," he said hollowly.

"Because I won't leave Zack?" she asked quietly. "I'll fight you tooth and nail, Cloud and you won't defeat me. I won't give up my son on a whim of yours." Her eyes watered, but not the point where she had trouble holding in her tears. "Haven't you gotten tired of hurting me?" she asked before getting into her car and driving off.

"Idiot, you fucking idiot," Cloud muttered to himself as he made his way back to his car just as Aerith was walking out of the main building.

Aerith smiled and moved in to try to kiss him, but Cloud moved aside guiltily, avoiding her touch. "What's wrong with you?" she asked with a frown. He had been acting strange from the moment Tifa had started dating another man, Aerith wasn't oblivious enough to not notice it. Her green eyes darkened as he just shook his head and muttered something under his breath. She just turned and walked towards his car, ignoring his apology about how he was acting.

"I'll see you at home…" he trailed off, knowing that he had made her mad.

She approached her car and sighed to herself when she saw that Sephiroth was approaching the vehicle next to hers. She avoided his eyes and just unlocked her car, hoping he wouldn't notice how she was holding back tears.

"Problems in paradise?" he asked, not caring that she looked down.

"Enjoy it, Sephiroth. I'm paying for what I did to you and Kadaj," Aerith said before getting into her car and driving off.

Sephiroth looked towards her husband and saw that the man was still sitting in his car, his forehead pressed against the steering wheel. He just wasn't the type of man who could rejoice at the misfortune of others, even if the person happened to be the one who had hurt him and his son beyond anything. Though he usually snarked about the contrary—made her think that her unhappiness made him happy—it just made him feel tired. He had done the best he could do with his son, and there just wasn't much else he could do anymore except try to be there for Kadaj whenever he needed him. Too bad Aerith had no real idea on how hard it had been to raise a child alone.

………………

The weekend came rather quickly for Tifa. She had missed her job and had let her students have the entire week without homework, though she had warned them that come Monday, they would have important homework essays coming up. She had been keeping her Saturday busy by cleaning the house and having Denzel wash his dirty laundry, since he had been recovering a little each day. Her son usually kept his room impeccably clean—which was strange, considering his age—and he had been falling behind with the cleaning since his accident.

She hummed a little tune to herself as she cleaned off some glass frames that held images of all her friends and a few of her family. Her mother had died when she had been a little girl, and her dad had gone just a few months after Denzel's first birthday. She had felt so sad and alone those first few days, but Yuffie had been there, and she'd had Cloud at the moment as well. Those first few months after high school had been the hardest, not knowing what to do, or what was to come. She had lost touch with many of her old friends. Aerith had simply disappeared from the face of the earth and Tifa supposed that she had been hiding her pregnancy from those who had known her, since no one had known that she was Kadaj's mother, or even suspected it. It seemed impossible to hide the fact that one was having a baby, but Aerith had proved her wrong.

The doorbell brought her out of her musings, and Tifa realized that she had been polishing the same frame for more than was necessary. She set it down and walked over to get the door. She smiled at the mailman and took the letter he had for her, which she needed to sign for. "Thank you," she said brightly.

"Have a good day!" the man called before walking off.

Tifa closed the door and read who the sender was. Her stomach instantly dropped to her toes and she felt her breath leave her all at once. "Cloud, you son of a bi—"

"Who was it?" Denzel called from up the stairs.

Tifa swallowed her insults and crammed the notice of Cloud's custody hearing into a drawer where she kept the bills. "The mailman, kid. Don't worry about it," she called right back.

"Okay," said Denzel before he turned up his music.

She stood there stewing for a few minutes, feeling the intense need to break things. She was still cursing inwardly when she heard the doorbell ring again. She took a few deep breaths and then walked over to open the door, her eyes darting around when she saw no one there. Tifa jumped when something at her feet moved, and she spotted a medium sized, pink box with a yellow bow on top. She frowned and noticed that there were holes on the side. She kneeled cautiously and opened the top, nearly screaming when something brown and black jumped at her. Then she let out a laugh and grabbed the German Shepherd puppy, who squirmed in her hands and tried to lick at her face.

"Surprise!" called Zack as he moved out from behind a rose bush where he had been hiding and watching her reaction.

Tifa couldn't help the smile on her face as she felt her troubles melt away, if only for a few minutes. She knew reality wouldn't care that she was happy, and would be waiting to throw her down at any moment. But for now she could enjoy this. "Oh, Zack, he's adorable," she said with a grin. "It's a he, right?"

Zack nodded and moved forward to kiss her as she stood on a step higher than him, and even then, they were _almost_ eye to eye. "I didn't know if you would want him, seeing as you're a cat person."

She shook her head and kissed him again, giggling when the puppy licked at her chin. "Thank you. He's a cutie," she said, caressing his face. "Denzel will love him too. Is he one of Buster's brood?"

Zack nodded and brought the box into the house before shutting the door. "The mom had eight pups, but I only asked for one, just for you. I went to see them and he was the most playful of them all."

Tifa grinned as the little thing kept squirming and trying to lick her face. "Do you want something to eat or drink?" she asked him as she moved towards the stairs and called Denzel.

"No thank you," he said wrapping his arms around her from behind and pressing a kiss to her shoulder. "How are you?"

Tifa let out a heavy sigh and remembered the letter sitting in that drawer waiting for her. Also, she couldn't help but remember what Cloud had said to her those days ago in the parking lot. Her shoulders slumped and she wished that Denzel would give her a moment to break down in Zack's arms. "I'll tell you later. I don't want Denzel to know," she murmured as the teen walked down the stairs and his face brightened with a smile when he spotted the puppy in her arms.

"What do you think?" Zack asked him.

"Aww, he's great!" said Denzel, taking the little dog when Tifa handed him over. "What are we going to name him?"

Tifa smiled slightly and looked at Zack and he shrugged. "I don't have any ideas right now," she admitted.

"Well, maybe I'll get Marlene to help me find a name for him," said Denzel.

"Are you going out with her?" Zack asked.

Denzel blushed and nodded. "We didn't want to say anything yet, since she hasn't told her dad, but I kinda… asked her to be… my girlfriend," he said, turning a funny shade of red.

Tifa pinched his cheek and grinned. "My baby is growing up," she said with a mock sniff. "Why don't you take Junior there and get him all the things he needs," she said, going to her purse and handing over some gil.

"Oh, I get it. You're trying to get rid of me so that I can leave you two alone, huh?" the teen asked mischievously. "Don't worry," he said when he saw his mother flush. "I'll try to take as long as I can. After all, I have a girlfriend to occupy my time with now," he said, taking the keys that Tifa was handing over as well.

"Be careful, kid. The car is newly repaired and I need it in one piece," said Tifa as Denzel pressed a kiss to her cheek and waved at Zack before walking out the door.

Zack felt his smile wilt when he remembered that there was something that Tifa had wanted to say to him. "Are you finally going to tell me what's going on?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead.

Tifa nodded and moved away from him to take out the envelope. She opened it and the letter was a court summons to discuss Denzel's custody, though she'd suspected as much. She and Cloud had gone through a face to face meeting four years before and had come to an agreement without resorting to a legal battle. He had agreed to joint custody with Denzel spending most of his time with her. Now, he was going back on his decision, and he wanted to fight her for his full custody. And all because he claimed he still loved her.

Zack read the letter over her shoulder and felt his face pull into an angry scowl. The next time he saw the little bastard, he'd be sure to bash his face in. "He won't succeed," he murmured reassuringly.

Tifa shook her head and felt her eyes water. "We agreed that Denzel would be better off with me. Cloud is being unfair… he…" she trailed off into a small sob. She was confident that Denzel would stay with her, but the things Cloud had said to her, to have the nerve to actually tell her that he loved her, were throwing her for a loop. Tifa clutched at Zack's shirt and buried her face in his chest. "I just… I can't believe that after all this time, he still keeps on hurting me."

"You shouldn't let him. He's doing this because he can't stand to see you happy. If you ask me, I think he's still in love with you," said Zack sourly. Though he hated what he was saying, that was the only possible reason behind Cloud's sudden hostility.

"He had the nerve to say that to me a few days ago," Tifa admitted, watching as Zack's eyes darkened in anger.

"And you're telling me this now? I thought you wanted us to be honest with each other," he said flatly.

"Well, it wasn't something that I wanted to tell you over the phone," she snapped right back. Her shoulders drooped again and she shook her head. "I don't want to argue Zack, not about this and not right now," she pleaded.

He nodded and hugged her to him again. "Okay, okay. I just… I don't want to think that there may be a part of you that still loves him too."

Tifa pulled back to look at him and shook her head. "There isn't. At least not in the way you're thinking. He was a close friend of mine since we were children. I love him as a friend now, ever since you came into the picture," she murmured, running her hands through his hair.

Zack smirked and nodded, leaning forward to kiss her. "How about we forget about things for a little while?" he asked, trailing a few kisses up her neck.

Tifa squirmed slightly. "But I've been cleaning all afternoon. I'm all dusty and dirty," she said, her hands smoothing over his chest.

"Then why don't we move this to the shower? We'll get cleaned up and then we can go out to get something to eat?" he asked as he started to move with her up the stairs.

"Hmmm, okay," murmured Tifa before kissing him again. She could forget for a little while.

……

Vincent sipped at his coffee and watched Oren as the teen fidgeted with the laces of his boots. He had come over to see his son for only a moment, but things were still awkward. It seemed like Oren had inherited his quiet attitude. At least that was the conclusion he had arrived at when the boy refused to talk to him. "Do you… have a girlfriend?" he asked.

Oren shook his head. "No. I had one a few months ago, but she was overly jealous, so I had to let her go. It was a shame, I liked her, but she got irritating."

Vincent nodded and thought back to his high school years. He had been the one to always get jealous at the attention that Yuffie received, though he had hardly expressed it to her. She had always had an uncanny way of knowing what he had been thinking and she had always known when he was angry or irritated about something. "Where did your mother go off to?"

Oren shrugged. "Probably with Reno. They hang out a lot," he said absently.

"Are they dating?" Vincent asked against his better judgment.

"I don't really know. They go out a few times a month, but I don't think it's anything serious. Though maybe I think that way because I don't really want to picture my mom with any man, it's kinda creepy. I don't want to know what goes on when she goes off with Reno for hours at a time," he muttered.

Vincent didn't know what to think about that, but he stood to place his cup at the sink and decided it was best if he washed it while he was at it. As he made his way back to Yuffie's living room, he paused by one of the front windows when he heard the sound of a car. He watched them as they stepped out of the car and the man with the fiery red hair wrapped an arm around Yuffie's slim waist. Vincent turned away from the show they were putting on as their lips locked and found that it hurt to see her that way with another man. All he had ever felt for Yuffie was conflicting with what he thought he had felt for his wife. He didn't know what to think.

The door opened and Yuffie's smile was like the sun as she stepped through and shut it behind her. A moment later, the car started and drove off. Her smiled died though, when she saw that Vincent was there. She cleared her throat and looked at her son. "Hey kid, didn't know you had company," she said.

"I'm sorry I came unannounced," said Vincent.

She ignored him. "I'm beat. Have fun while you bond," she said to her son and walked off to the kitchen.

"Why don't we just go get something to eat?" asked Oren, feeling slightly bad for the way his mom had just blown the man off.

"That sounds like a good idea," said Vincent, eyes darting to where Yuffie had just gone.

"Give me a sec and I'll go get my coat. It's kinda windy outside," said Oren as he walked up the stairs.

Vincent watched him go and heard the sound of clattering pans in the kitchen. Against his better judgment, he moved towards the sounds and watched Yuffie as she danced around a little, grabbing her ingredients and muttering to herself about what she would need next. She was in a good mood, and it made him want to wipe that smile off her face, though he couldn't think of why.

"What do you want?" she asked, turning to wash a few potatoes in the sink.

"You and this… Reno… are you serious?" he asked her, moving to stand behind her.

Yuffie let out a scoff and turned off the faucet, turning to grab a few other things from the fridge, but she nearly ran into Vincent and scowled. "I thought I told you that my personal life wasn't any of your business," she snapped, side-stepping him and moving away.

Before she was out of reach though, his hand darted out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back to him. Yuffie gasped and pushed against his chest, trying to get away, but then his lips were on hers and she didn't know what to do. Her mind battled her heart for only a second, and though she savored his taste for that moment—her memory recognizing his taste even after all the years that had gone by—her mind caught up with the rest of her and she wrenched away from him angrily. He was married, and she was a fool for still loving him.

Vincent grunted as her hand made impact with his face, leaving the skin red and stinging. He deserved that. He knew he did. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

"Don't you dare touch me ever again," Yuffie hissed, her eyes cold and promising worlds of pain if he even attempted it again.

There was a throat clearing by the door and both adults turned to find their son watching them, those shining red eyes unreadable. Oren shook his head and looked at his father in slight disgust. "I think I'll take a rain check on having lunch with you," he said.

"Wait, I can explain what you just saw…" Vincent said, trailing off at the look on his son's face.

"Do you think that kissing my mother when you're married to someone else is a good example to set for me? My feelings for you as my father are on shaky ground as it is, and all you're doing is making me see that maybe having you in my life really is a bad idea," said Oren before he walked off and back to his room.

Vincent let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair in defeat. He had just screwed up royally. He turned to look at Yuffie, but she had her back to him and was peeling some vegetables before moving on to chop an onion.

"You know where the door is," she said to him, voice devoid of any emotion. "Give him a few days to cool off and then call him," she added before he was out of the kitchen. And she blamed the onion for the tears as she heard the front door shut.

………

"Oh, I like how this place looks," Tifa murmured as she and Zack walked into a Fifties diner. She was more relaxed now than a few hours before, and he suspected their nearly hour-long shower had had something to do with it.

"Yeah," said Zack with a grin. "We can share a milkshake with two straws," he teased.

"Right," said Tifa. "But I think I'll pass. This place is famous for their shakes and I'm not in a sharing mood," she said with a smile.

Zack moved into the booth right next to her and nuzzled her neck. "Are you sure you don't want to reconsider that? Because I'm certainly feeling in a very giving mood," he said softly, lips brushing against her jaw.

Tifa blushed and smacked him on the top of his head. "Behave. We're in a public place," she murmured, though she didn't mind at all if he was in a giving mood. She had certainly enjoyed all he had given her just a few minutes before they had left the house.

They ordered their food and chatted about nothing in particular. As they sat, his arm around her shoulder and enjoying the moment together, Tifa felt Zack stiffen against her. "What's wrong?" she asked in concern. He said nothing, so she followed his line of sight and saw that he was looking out the window at a man who had a little girl in his arms. "Zack?" she asked, elbowing him slightly.

"Genesis," he growled softly.

Tifa looked back at the man and took a closer look. Though they were pretty far away, she could tell that he was a good looking man with reddish hair, an attractive body, and blue eyes. The little girl in his arms was blonde and she vaguely wondered if she was his daughter. "He's the man your ex left you for?"

Zack nodded and glared at the man as he got into the car and buckled the little girl in. "It wasn't so much that. I think I never really loved Scarlet in the first place. What hurt the most was that he was a close friend, almost as close as Seph, but not quite. He's not on the list of my favorite people right now, and I think that the next time I have him face to face, I'm going to bash his nose in," he said.

"You know, I never really realized how alike our situations were. Though Cloud didn't exactly run off with Aerith, he still left me for her. I may have loved him differently than you felt for Scarlet, but I understand the pain of betrayal," she said softly, running her hand through his thick spikes, loving that they smelled of her fruit shampoo.

"I think betrayal is the worst thing a person can do to another person in a relationship," Zack murmured, stealing a sip of her strawberry milkshake.

"Maybe you should go talk to him now, get it over with," offered Tifa. At his glare, she shrugged. "It was just a suggestion," she said defensively.

He let out a deep breath and shook his head. "I don't think I'm ready to talk to him yet. I'm telling you, if I see him now, we'll end up in some type of brawl. We'd probably be evenly matched, but he did reach SOLDIER first class before I did," he muttered.

Tifa squeezed his cheek in an effort to make him forget his anger and his thoughts. "Aww, now _I'm _feeling in a giving mood. Pay the check and I'll show how giving," she murmured against his ear, nibbling a little to put her point across further.

He grinned and kissed her as she giggled against him. He wouldn't let his ex-wife and ex-friend sour something good he had going with Tifa. She was turning out to be the love of his life, and he would do anything to make her happy. So he paid for the bill quickly and pulled her along; there was no reason why he couldn't be happy in the process too.

……

Aerith looked through the tests she had yet to grade and let out a long sigh. She really wasn't in the mood to see Cloud and that annoying frown on his face. He'd been that way for days now and he refused to talk to her about anything that was going on in that thick skull of his. She had a feeling that her marriage was going down the drain and she couldn't get through to him in order to fix it.

There was a knock at her open door and she looked up to see Cloud walk in. He attempted a small smile which she didn't return. "Are you coming home yet?" he asked, noticing the stack of tests that she had yet to grade.

"No. I think I'm staying about another hour. There are things I need to do," she replied.

"Can't you do them at home?" Cloud asked, frowning.

Aerith stood and looked at him. "Would you really care if got home an hour earlier or later?" she asked him. At his confused look, she shook her head and stood to water her plants. "You've been distant for weeks now, Cloud. I don't know what's wrong with you and now you're in the process of trying to take your son away from his mother. What has gotten into you?" she asked.

Cloud shook his head. "I don't want to talk about that now," he said.

"Why not, Cloud? Let's talk about why you're doing it. Why do you persist in butting into Tifa's life? Why can't you leave her in peace when she seems so happy?" Aerith asked him angrily.

"You wouldn't understand what it's like to feel your own child prefer someone else above you. I'm not doing this to hurt Tifa," he knew that was partially a lie, "I'm doing this because I want Denzel to see that I want to be a good father to him and I can only do that if he's here with me. Had you had any children, you would know and understand," he snapped.

She did know, and that hurt the most. Kadaj hated her for what she had done to him, and she was too afraid to make a move to get closer to him. She turned to Cloud and looked him in the eye. "Answer me this, then. Do you still feel anything for Tifa?"

Cloud swallowed and then shook his head. "You're imagining things. She's the mother of my son, nothing more. I would appreciate it if you stay out of what I'm doing," he said coldly.

Aerith felt tear burn her eyes. "Leave Cloud. I don't want to look at you right now. Our marriage is breaking apart and all you can think of is hurting your son and your ex-wife. If you continue to do this, all you're going to gain is Denzel's hate," she said quietly. She didn't turn when she heard him walk away. The tears came then, with no noise, no sobs, just tears. She had always believed that marrying Cloud was her happiness, but she realized now that he had always been a bit distant. Maybe that distant part was the part that still loved Tifa and always would, no matter what he said. She supposed that she really was getting what she deserved.

"Are you alright?" asked someone from behind her.

Aerith froze and felt her breath hitch. She recognized that voice. She brushed away her tears and turned slowly to look at her son. Her beautiful boy. She nodded, though it was obvious that she wasn't okay. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking," she murmured.

Kadaj watched her sad eyes and felt something strange in his gut. He had been passing by her classroom when he had seen her shoulders trembling and had caught the tears trailing down her cheeks. Something strange had filled his heart at the sight of her crying, though he usually prided himself in being aloof to the world around him. His dad had told him that if he continued to be that way, he would never get a girlfriend and he would grow up to become a lonely, crazy, old man who yelled at the neighbors kids. He'd tried not to laugh at his father's words, but he would've never thought to hear something like that coming from the great General Sephiroth. Kadaj looked at the lady in front of him and felt pity for her. "You shouldn't cry," he muttered, handing her a tissue.

"I've just… done so many things that I regret in my life," she replied, sniffling.

"I bet," he said with a small shrug. "Just, don't give up. Be strong," he said, patting her shoulder awkwardly.

More tears came then, because it was her fault that Kadaj didn't know how to express himself without being so distant. He was probably emotionally stunted because of her abandonment. "I'm sorry," she pleaded, the sobs coming then.

Kadaj frowned in confusion and took one of her hands, squeezing gently. "You'll be okay," he murmured mostly to himself. That feeling in his heart intensifying, unaware that someone was watching them.

Sephiroth sighed to himself and frowned. He had been passing by her classroom when he had seen Kadaj walk inside, looking uncertain. He had heard his son's hesitant words, and Aerith's sorrow filled ones. He was torn between wanting to keep his distance, and wanting to find a way to give his son the mother he had so desperately needed, and that he probably did need even now. All he knew was that he had to do something to fix their situation, no matter that his mind was telling him that it was a bad idea to invite her back into their lives.

…………

Scarlet smiled to herself as she looked up at the school, shifting the weight in her arms slightly. If Zack and Tifa really did believe that they had seen the last of her, well, they were sadly mistaken. She wasn't one to give up on what she wanted, and at the moment, she wanted Zack. She'd had her fun with Genesis, but that was over now, and Zack really did look good enough to eat.

She looked at the little girl in her arms and smiled when blue eyes gazed right back at her. "Come on, toots, we're going to meet your _real _daddy," she said before making her way into the school.

…

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Don't kill me! I know that some of you will probably roll your eyes at this cliffy, but bear with me. There are a couple of shocking moments coming up, but I can't give them away right now. Cloud is being a jerk and it's because he's going to be the bad guy for a few chapters, but please be patient. He'll get what's coming to him and then I'll go easy on him. He'll get his happiness eventually.

Now, there are two reviews that I would like to comment about and some of you may want to skip it or ignore it, so feel free. I had an author review the last chapter and say that I need to give the spotlight back to Zack/Tifa and keep it there. I usually focus on one couple in most of my fics, but in this one, I wanted to try something new, hence the reason why there are Vincent/Yuffie and Sephiroth/Aerith moments as well. The story is still essentially Zack/Tifa, they _are_ the main pairing, but I want to try things my way.

The second reply goes to answer **Erianna's** questions/comments, or anyone else who is wondering. Hiding a pregnancy is indeed possible. I had a friend in high school who got pregnant in our junior year, and she was able to hide it from everyone. No one in our classes knew that she was pregnant except for out little group. She accomplished that because she was pretty tiny, in height and weight, and seriously, no one knew until she actually had the baby and she brought the little girl to school a few months later. Seeing the look of shock on people's faces was funny, but I'm telling you it's possible because I saw it myself. Second, she asked about the upbringing when concerning having kids at a young age. In this same group of friends, we were a total of six girls, and four out of us had kids right after graduation. My bestest friend in the world and I are the only ones who didn't have kids, and still don't. Now, I met their moms and know that they did what they could to raise their kids, but in the end, it's your decision whether or not you're ready for sex and for kids.

I took real life experiences and put them in my fics, though I do seem to go off on the dramatic side, but that's my fault. Also, Scarlet is amazingly exaggerated, I do know that, and I did it on purpose. I'm not writing this fic to achieve greatness, I'm writing it to have fun right now, and that's the same thing I said to Motchi. I don't mind that this story is being compared to a soap, or as a reviewer said, better than a soap. I mean, it's not an insult to me and all I want is to write something that I like, and that you the readers like. I'm not going to change that because this is how I want my fic to be. I don't want to appear rude, but it's my decision in the end and I appreciate the criticism and the comments. There are times when I do recognized that I've gone overboard, and I change things because people request it, but other than that, most of my readers like what I write and I keep on doing what I please. Oh, and if you do continue to read this fic, don't worry Seph isn't going to go evil. I personally like the way he was before he went crazy, as shown in Crisis Core.

To Vampyric Ninja, dantesdarkqueen, YesAnimeCharactersCanBeSexy, Motchi—for the back and forth input, comments, and suggestions—2-Cold, Fairheartstrife, Bistromath—don't worry, Aerith and Tifa still aren't really friends—Mrs.MaxiStrife, Curry Bird, Slyvixen, Lyan, TifaxFinalxHeaven, old and new reviewers alike, thank you so much. You guys really made my day, and it's so flattering to have great authors reviewing my fic. After such an incredibly long A/N, I thought it would be good to thank you all personally for hanging with all my nonsense. Thanks again and I hope to update soon!

Joey


	9. Chain Reaction

…………………………………

**Chain Reaction**

…………………………………

"What are you planning on doing for spring break?" Zack asked as Tifa stood with him in his office, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

"I don't know, it's still months away," she commented, straightening the silk tie he had decided to wear with a nicely tailored suit.

"How about we take a trip somewhere? Just you and me. You think Yuffie would let Denzel stay with her?" he asked.

Tifa nodded. "I think so. But where would we go?"

He shrugged. "We can try Icicle Inn, or maybe Costa Del Sol," he offered.

Tifa thought about it for a moment and nodded. "That sounds good. A nice little getaway, just the two of us alone for an indeterminate amount of time?" she asked in a low, husky voice. Zack smirked and leaned forward to steal a kiss from her.

A knock at his office door interrupted them and made them split apart quickly. "Come in," said Zack. His eyes rolled when he saw who it was. "For the love of… what are you doing here again?" he asked Scarlet.

Tifa felt her eyes narrow as she looked at the other woman and the child in her arms. The little girl appeared to be the one Genesis had been holding a few days before. She was a cutie, with curling blonde hair and big blue eyes. Scarlet being there with the girl meant nothing good.

"I know that you want nothing to do with me, precious, but I just thought that you would want to meet Deidre at least once in your life," Scarlet said with a small smirk. "She's my daughter. She's just over one and… she's yours."

Zack stared. Tifa felt like someone had hit her with a sledgehammer again. Geez, she could sure pick them. Something in her gut had been telling her that Zack had been too good to be true. But then again, she couldn't jump to conclusions so quickly. So she stayed silent and listened. No good could come from her having some sort of outburst.

Zack shook his head and glared at the blonde woman. "Don't come and try to pawn off your daughter on me. When you left, you weren't pregnant. She's a cute little girl and all, but she's Genesis' kid. Don't try to trick me into thinking otherwise," he said with conviction.

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong. You remember that a few days before I left, you and I were still _very_ close? Well, she resulted from our last night together. She has your eyes," said Scarlet smugly, eyeing Tifa.

Tifa let out a sigh. "I think I need to leave," she murmured, going for the door.

"Tifa, wait!" Zack said, going after her.

"You need to fix this, Zack. I… I won't stand in the way of you and your child," she said sadly, walking out the door.

Zack felt a piece of his heart die at the look he had just seen in her eyes. No. No, he couldn't lose Tifa. Not this way and not at this point. His eyes were glacial as he turned to look at Scarlet. "I don't know what you're playing at, but I know that your daughter isn't mine."

"Do you really want to risk never having her in your life? She's your daughter Zack. A woman knows. I know. Now, I want you with me in order for you to be close to your daughter. If you don't leave Tifa, I'm gone and you'll never see your daughter again," the blonde said calmly.

He shook his head and gave her a look of disgust. "When I have a paternity test in front of me that proves I'm her father, we'll talk. Until then, you will not interfere in my life. I don't want you, and I certainly don't love you. I wonder if Genesis even knows that you're here, doing this," Zack spat.

"I admit that he's been a great man, caring for my little angel when he isn't the real father… but really, I just thought that you both deserved to know each other," she said, looking at the little girl in her arms. "You decide, Zack. It's either Tifa or your daughter." She took a card out from her purse and set it on his desk. "That's my number. Call me when you come to a decision," she said before walking towards the door, waving one of the baby's chunky fists.

Zack cursed fluently for a good few seconds and finally ended up slamming a hand onto the desk. The wood groaned with the impact, and he ignored his aching knuckles. In just a matter of minutes, Scarlet had managed to turn his life upside down once again. He needed to find Tifa and get her to see that he loved her and that Scarlet saying that the little girl was his didn't make it true. Damn it. Damn it! He would not just sit around and wait for his love life to go down the drain.

………

Tifa felt her eyes prickle with tears for the fifth time in the day. She just couldn't believe… this woman had just barged back into Zack's life with a toddler in her arms and… Tifa would never stand in the way of a father and his child. So as soon as the dismissal bell rang, she packed up her things and left her classroom in order to avoid seeing Zack. She wouldn't hold it together if he tried to talk to her now. She was just so confused about everything. On one hand, this was a woman who had cheated on him when they had been married, and on the other hand, there was a great possibility that the little girl really was Zack's.

She got away from the school with no interception from anyone, and she was thankful that Denzel would have someone to drop him off later on. As she made it to her bedroom and dropped her bags on the carpeted floor, her cell phone went off. She looked at the screen and her breath hitched when she saw that it was Zack. She ignored the call and picked up her house phone instead. She dialed Yuffie's cell number and waited.

"What's going on, Teef? I saw Zack a few minutes ago and he told me to tell you to please call him. He looked anxious. Did you guys have your first argument or something?" she asked.

"I need a friend, Yuffs. How about we go to dinner and I can explain everything to you?" asked Tifa with a sigh.

Yuffie was silent for a moment, and Tifa could hear her shuffling papers. "Alright. I'm almost done here, so how about I pick you up in about an hour and we can go get some grub? There are a few things I need to tell you too."

"That sounds good, Yuffie. See you then," she said before hanging up. She stared at her cell phone for a moment and let out a heavy sigh. It would be hard to move on without Zack by her side. He had been a constant in her life for the past few months, since she had met him really. But there wasn't anything that she couldn't do. She had raised her son for four years on her own, had gotten over Cloud as well, and she would get over Zack now too. She stood and walked over to take a shower and to get ready for her dinner with her best friend, her thoughts still on Zack and on the little girl. Scarlet had been right though, the child had blue eyes, very much like Zack.

After taking a long while, letting the hot water pelt her back until the skin was a rosy pink, she got out and then dressed. Denzel was already home, but he was on the phone with Marlene. Tifa just hoped that her son didn't drop everything to be with his girlfriend. He had always had good grades, and she had hope that he would be responsible. Tifa took the moment to let him know that she would be going out before she walked downstairs to wait for her friend.

When Yuffie arrived, she was changed out of her clothes and she looked refreshed as well. They chose a restaurant with good food and very few people. The atmosphere was peaceful, and that was something both women needed almost desperately. As they both enjoyed steaks and non-alcoholic drinks. "We should use Saturday to get wasted all day," commented Yuffie after Tifa had told her about Scarlet and how she had walked out on Zack.

"My hangovers were always hell," replied Tifa. "Maybe we should just go for a day at a spa or something. It would me more relaxing and less hazardous to our health…" she let out a sigh. "I already dished. It's your turn."

Yuffie nodded and set down her fork. "Oren caught Vincent kissing me."

"What? Why was he kissing you in the first place?" asked Tifa with wide eyes.

The shorter woman shrugged. "Who knows what really goes on in Vincent's head? I took off the morning to spend some quality time with Reno, you know, to _relieve_ some stress. When I got home, Vincent was there with Oren. I went to the kitchen and he followed me there. We were arguing about my personal life and the next thing I knew, he was kissing me. Oren got angry at him and cancelled their afternoon. I felt bad, but I didn't ask Vincent to kiss me. Hell, all I wanted to do was gouge his eyes out."

Tifa nodded. She knew what that felt like, though she wanted to gouge Scarlet's eyes out instead. "Why are our lives so screwed up? I'm scared, Yuffie. I'm scared that I'm doing the wrong thing by pushing him away. But… isn't it better if I draw away first? That woman is the kind who has an ulterior motive for everything. She showed that child to Zack with the express purpose of separating us."

"Then you shouldn't let her win," said Yuffie with a frown. "If that's what she wants, then you shouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing that she tore you and Zack apart. You love him, right? This may be your chance at true happiness and you're throwing it away. I mean, at least make a decision once the paternity test comes out," said her friend.

Tifa sighed and knew that she was right, but the more time she spent with Zack, the harder it would be to step away later on. It already felt like hell, how much worse would it be if she didn't stop things now? As she took a sip of her strawberry lemonade, her eyes were drawn towards the entrance of the restaurant where two familiar people had just stepped in. She hadn't seen her cousin in a few weeks now, and he looked charming and at ease with his wife on his arm.

Tseng spotted her and whispered something to Elena, who nodded and smiled at them too. They walked towards Tifa and Yuffie's table. "Good evening ladies," he said with a small smile.

"Hey, fancy meeting you two here," said Tifa.

"What's the occasion?" asked Yuffie with a wink.

Elena smiled fondly, pushing her shoulder-length blonde hair behind an ear. "Well, Tseng and I are… going to have another baby," she said brightly.

Tifa gasped and got to her feet, wrapping the woman in a tight hug before moving on to Tseng, who looked slightly embarrassed at the public display of affection. "Congratulations! How far along are you?"

Elena almost glowed in happiness. "Almost three months. We still haven't told Dorian though."

"He's been an only child for sixteen years and he's rather spoiled, thanks to Elena," said Tseng.

"Oh, don't blame that on me. He inherited your sense of superiority over everyone you don't like," muttered Elena with a small smirk. "Hopefully this baby will be a girl and she'll be nothing like you."

Tifa and Yuffie just watched the dynamics of the pair with smiles. They really were perfect for each other. Tifa had known Elena almost as long as Cloud, since she had been living a few houses down from her when they had been children. Elena would've been as close to her as Yuffie, but the blonde had moved away to another country to go to a private school. Then she had returned to their high school years later, and that had been when she had met Tseng, who was a few years older than her. Tseng had been a serious type of man, while Elena had been bright and sometimes overexcited. How they had managed to end up with each other was beyond Tifa, but she was happy that they had remained married so many years and would now have two beautiful children.

"We should get to our table," Tseng said to them, nudging Elena along. "It was good to see you. I hope Denzel and Oren are doing okay?"

"They are," said Yuffie.

"They're back to their old selves already," said Tifa with a smile. "You two take care now—I should rephrase that—you three take care now."

"You too," said Elena. "Yuffie, it was great to see you too. I was just commenting to Tseng how pleasant it's been to see old friends around here."

"Elena," Tseng murmured in warning.

"What? Who else did you see?" Yuffie asked curiously.

"Well," said Elena. "I just saw Aerith, and she was with a very mysterious and handsome man with long silver hair. Isn't she still married to Cloud?" she asked with a small frown.

Tifa and Yuffie shared a wide-eyed look. "They're here, having dinner together?"

Elena nodded and was about to say more when Tseng cut her off. "Don't you three start instigating now. This is none of our business," he said, giving them all cool eyes.

Tifa had never been intimidated by Tseng, even when he had taken on the roll of big brother for her. "Well, congratulations again. Keep in touch, okay?"

"We will," said Elena with a smile, letting Tseng guide her as she waved.

Yuffie looked at Tifa. "You think Aerith is cheating on Cloud with her ex?"

Tifa shrugged but then shook her head. "Sephiroth hasn't forgiven her. I don't think he would allow her to be that close to him again," she murmured, trying to discretely look around. She spotted Sephiroth's long hair almost hidden by the secluded corner they were in. "Maybe they're discussing Kadaj," she said with a shrug.

Yuffie frowned and then decided that it really wasn't her business what the other woman did with the dean. Power to her if she was getting a little bit of action on the side. Cloud deserved to be knocked down a peg or two for what he was pulling with the custody thing. She looked up when Tifa set down her napkin and stood. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"To the restroom to get some answers. I know I said I wouldn't interfere, but this is getting a little strange," she said before she walked away, leaving Yuffie behind, rolling her eyes in annoyance. She smirked to herself as she looked over the desserts. Her cakes may have been a disaster, but she knew a good cake when she saw one.

…

Tifa stepped into the ladies room and spotted Aerith at the mirror, reapplying her lip gloss and primping herself a little. She stepped over until Aerith noticed her in the mirror. "Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey Tifa, what are you doing here?" If she was nervous, it didn't really show.

"I saw you with Sephiroth. I'm not here to pry or to judge, but…"

Aerith shook her head and turned to look at her head on. "We're just discussing Kadaj. He called me and asked me to meet him here. We're trying to find a solution to the problems I caused when I left him behind," she said with a sigh.

Tifa nodded in understanding. "I'm glad you're taking steps to get closer to your son. Better late than never," she said, shifting slightly. She really didn't know what else to say to her ex-friend. "What about Cloud? Are you ever going to tell him that you have a son with another man?"

Aerith looked away and shrugged. "I don't know yet. Cloud and I aren't in a very good place right now. He's been acting strange, and I don't agree with what he's doing about Denny's custody. I think he's just doing this to strike out at you because you're with another man."

Tifa bit her lip and suddenly felt guilty. Though she hadn't viewed Aerith as her friend since their falling out, she didn't want to be the cause of her marriage disintegrating. "Look… I just want you to know that I want nothing to do with Cloud. Since the day the divorce was finalized I have never given him any indication that I want him back. Much less since I met Zack."

Aerith nodded. "I know. You never interfered, even when we were in high school and you loved him more than I did, I think. I feel bad now, because back then I knew how you felt about him, and I… I purposely went after him. I'm sorry about that Tifa. I'm paying for everything I've done wrong in my life."

"Don't worry about the past now," said Tifa. "You should just focus on making things up to your son. He's all that matters now," she said, moving towards the door.

"I know you're right. I just… have to find a way to getting to that." Aerith paused and watched as Tifa nodded and reached for the door. "Tifa? I wish you the best with Zack."

Tifa felt her heart clench at those words and at the fact that she and Zack could possibly be over permanently. "Thanks," she murmured before she walked out the door.

………………

Denzel walked with Oren down the hall, taking their sweet time to get to the library. There was something troubling Denzel and he wanted to tell his friend, but he didn't know if he should. Fortunately, Oren had some things to tell him as well. "I caught my dad kissing my mom. She slapped him," he muttered.

"Isn't your dad married to another woman?" asked Denzel.

Oren nodded. "That's what pissed me off the most. He says he's trying to get to know me and make things better between us. Does he really think that feeling up my mom is going to accomplish that?"

"Did your mom kiss him back?" asked Denzel, not because he was a hormonal teen, but because he was curious to know if Oren was being unfair to his father when his mother may have had a little bit of blame too.

"She slapped him," said Oren.

"Okay, we've established that. But did she kiss him back before she slapped him? I mean, maybe she wanted it to happen and your dad isn't the only one at fault here," Denzel reasoned.

"I don't know," muttered Oren. "I mean, Denz, you've seen your mom cry over your dad right? You remember how that felt? To sit around and watch her be sad over a man who wasn't worth it?" Oren waited and Denzel nodded in understanding. "It's been the same way with me, only worse because I never knew my dad. He wasn't a part of my life. He left my mom because of my grandfather's threat, but he never tried to find a solution to the problem. He just left."

"Alright," said Denzel. "Let's talk about something else. Oren nodded in agreement. "I have to tell you something I heard, but you have to promise that you won't tell another soul, or else we're both dead," he nearly whispered.

"Okay, I promise," said Oren in curiosity.

Denzel looked around as they rounded a corner and kept walking. "Well, you know how our moms went to dinner a few nights ago, right?" Oren nodded. "Well, when they came home, I was taking Bug out to do his business."

"Who's Bug?" his friend asked in confusion.

"Oh, Zack got my mom a puppy and she couldn't figure out a name for him, so she let me name him."

"And the best you could come up with was _Bug_?"

"That's not the point!" hissed Denzel. "I was leaning against the side of the house when they came up walking towards the door. I heard them talking about… my dad's wife is really Kadaj's mom. You know that guy, the dean's son? Yeah, him."

Oren's eyes were huge. "Aerith is Kadaj's mom?! Are you sure?"

There was a noise behind them and both teens turned to look what it was. Denzel felt his face drain from color as he and Oren stared at Kadaj. "What… did you just say?" the other teen asked slowly.

"Nothing. Nothing!" said Denzel quickly. "I didn't say anything!" Oh man, his mom was going to kill him. Oren just looked from his friend, to the guy he barely even knew. In situations like these, it was best to stay quiet and just observe.

"You said that my mother was… was that woman." Kadaj lunged forward and gripped Denzel's shirt, the other boy not fighting back. "That woman can't be… she can't be!" he yelled.

"Hey, step back man!" said Oren pushing at him. A small squabble broke out between the three. "Ask your father, he's the one who should've told you!" Oren yelled at him.

Kadaj just glared at him and then stormed off, presumably to do just that. Denzel groaned and his shoulders drooped. "My mom is going to kill me, and yours will kill you for egging him on and telling him to confront his dad."

Oren rolled his eyes. "Come on, he had to find out eventually. But I think we need to tell your mom what we just did. She may have a way of fixing this," he said as they both took off towards Tifa's classroom, running with all their might's.

Tifa frowned when the two teens barreled into her classroom, disrupting her lecture and drawing all eyes to them. "Denzel, what—"

"This is a matter of life and death, Ms. Lockhart. Please, we need to talk," said Denzel rapidly and a little out of breath. Oren just nodded.

Tifa gave them both a suspicious look and nodded, leaving her class to read and answer the questions on the board. She walked out behind her son and nephew. "What's going on, and why aren't you two in class?"

"We were going to the library when… when we said something we shouldn't have," said Denzel quietly.

"You said, I listened," said Oren.

Tifa glared at them and Denzel kept talking. "I overheard you and aunt Yuffie talking about Kadaj's mom a few nights ago. I was telling Oren today and… and…" he trailed off.

"And what?"

"He overheard us talking about it today!" interrupted Oren. "We almost got into a fight and I told him to talk to his dad, because he was the one who should've told him."

Tifa felt her heart drop to the soles of her feet and before the teens knew what was going on, she had slapped them in the back of their heads. "You idiots!" she hissed, though she was aware that it was her fault for talking about it when Denzel was around.

"Fix it!" Denzel pleaded.

"It's too late for that," said Tifa darkly. God, this was the beginning of a chain reaction and Aerith had no idea what was about to happen. "Go the library and do what you were instructed to do. We've all done enough damage to last us a lifetime," she said, going off to knock on Yuffie's door. After getting her friend to watch over her class, Tifa nearly ran down to Aerith's class. Unfortunately, the woman was not in her room, and there were no students. Tifa just hoped that she found Aerith before Kadaj did.

…………

Aerith took a look around the gardens of the school and smiled to herself. She had always had a soft spot for any type of flowers, and the ones there at the school were quite beautiful, but they couldn't compare to hers. Flowers were the only things now that could soothe her, especially after all the problems she'd been having with Cloud. They'd had more arguments in the past few months than they'd had in the last couple of years they had been married. She didn't know what to make of it, and she could still remember the hurtful words he had said to her the night she had returned home from her dinner with Sephiroth.

He had insinuated that she was cheating on him, and that he wouldn't be surprised if it was true, since she took every moment to tell him that their marriage was falling apart. She had then told him if he continued on his quest for Denzel's custody, she would leave him. He had slept on the couch that night, and for the past few nights as well. Things still weren't right between them, and Aerith had the feeling that they wouldn't be until Cloud convinced himself that he would never have Denzel's full custody.

She wasn't even aware that there were a few tears trailing down her cheek until she felt the gentle touch of a handkerchief against her face. She blinked twice and realized that Sephiroth was standing in front of her, his handkerchief wiping away her tears. She offered a sad smile and took the silky material, dabbing at her cheeks. They had come to some sort of agreement during their dinner. She hadn't believed her ears, but Sephiroth wanted Kadaj to get to know her and have her in his life before it was too late. Aerith had been skeptical, but she knew that she wanted to try to be in her son's life, even though she knew it would be the hardest thing in the world to accomplish.

"Why do you cry?" he asked quietly.

Aerith shrugged and was thankful that the garden was a long way from prying eyes. "My life in general," she said with a small bitter laugh. "I cry for all the things I've done wrong, and for hurting you and Kadaj. I really am paying for it, and I know I deserve it," she murmured.

Sephiroth knew he should've walked away, but those eyes had always been his undoing. He stepped forward and reached up to rub his thumb against her cheek. She looked up at him, confusion and uncertainty shining behind that emerald gaze. He was so much taller than her that she had the chance to stop him as he leaned down and tentatively pressed a kiss to her lips. It was something gentle and chaste, but he felt something twitch in his heart when he felt her hands on his chest as she leaned into him. But she pulled away too soon, cheeks red and eyes sad.

"I'm a married woman," she said, voice cracking slightly before she turned and walked away as quickly as she could. Sephiroth watched her go, but made no move to stop her. He couldn't put into words what he was feeling at the moment, but he knew that her tears had done something funny and irritating to his insides.

Aerith nearly broke out into a run once she was out of sight, but she refrained from making a scene and nearly ran headfirst into Tifa as she rounded a corner. "Aerith," the other woman gasped out. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Why?" asked Aerith, trying to avoid Tifa's eyes, since she knew her own would be red, making it obvious that she had cried. At the look on Tifa's face, panic settled in her gut. "Did something happen to Cloud, or Kadaj?" she asked softly.

Tifa shook her head, knowing that Aerith would be beyond furious when she told her that her son knew who she was. As she opened her mouth to tell her, another person interrupted her.

"Is it true?" asked Kadaj, making both women whirl around to look at him.

"Is what true?" asked Aerith, that feeling in her gut intensifying. Tifa wrung her hands and looked at the boy in front of them, panicked.

"Is it true that you are my mother? That you are the woman who abandoned me?" he asked softly.

Aerith stared at him stupidly. She had hoped and prayed that this day would come, but not that it was staring at her, she was at a loss of what to say. She couldn't bring herself to tell him anything. "How—how did you find out?" she finally gasped out.

"What does it matter?" Kadaj nearly yelled. "Are you my mother?" he asked, his handsome features twisting into a look of anger, rage, and underneath it all, sadness.

Aerith held his eyes and nodded as a few tears trailed down her cheeks. "Yes," she said softly. They stared at each other for a long moment until she tried moving forward, but he moved back. "Yes, Kadaj."

"Don't come near me," he warned, eyes a little glassy. "I wish you were dead. I wish you were dead," he spat. Aerith shook her head and reached for his hand, but he shoved her away in disgust, and had Tifa not been there, Aerith would've made impact with the floor. "Don't touch me you cowardly whore!" he yelled.

"Kadaj!" Tifa gasped as she felt Aerith shudder with tears. "Please, you need to calm down and not say things you may regret."

"The only thing I regret is finding out that this woman is my mother!" he yelled at her as well. "I don't want to see her near me and as soon as I talk to my father, I'm going to make him send me to a school in another country to that I don't _ever_ have to see her again!" he said, pointing at the green-eyed woman, who was outright crying now. Then he took off running and made it to one of the exits of the building that lead towards the outside parking lot and towards the street.

"Kadaj!" Aerith called, looking at Tifa.

"Go after him," said Tifa. "I'll find Sephiroth and tell him what's going on." Aerith took off, and only a few minutes later, Sephiroth walked into the building, looking pensive and a little morose. "Seph!" she called, watching as his narrowed eyes snapped to hers until he realized who she was.

"What's going on?" he asked, noting the anxious look on her face.

"Kadaj knows that Aerith is his mother. He said a lot of hurtful things to her before he ran out of the school. She followed him," said Tifa.

"How did he find out?" Sephiroth asked as they both ran out. Tifa looked guiltily away. "How, Tifa?"

"My son and nephew overheard me talking to Yuffie. Kadaj overheard them talking to each other just a little while ago," she admitted. Before he could tell her off, which she knew he wouldn't do because he wasn't that type of man, their attention was caught by Kadaj, who was still yelling insults at Aerith as she tried to get him to calm down.

"You lied to me too!" Kadaj yelled at Sephiroth. "Why didn't you tell me that she was close by? Did you two plan on this? Did you want her to slip back into my life when she didn't deserve it?"

"Calm down, now," said Sephiroth in a stern voice. He had a feeling that Kadaj hadn't even started his tirade. "We can talk about this at home, and not in public."

"You can all go to hell," Kadaj said before he turned and ran into the street.

Tifa heard the sound of the car before anyone saw it. "Kadaj, watch out!" she yelled.

But he wouldn't have been able to move in time, at least not until Aerith shoved him out of the way and the car made impact with her. All four people, including the driver, watched in horror as she hit the windshield and then rolled onto the pavement, her face and head bloodied.

Kadaj stared as his father and Tifa ran forward and the man in the car got out to quickly dial for an ambulance. All he could see was bloody face, her closed eyes, the bruises and scrapes on her arms and legs. There was blood everywhere and all he could do was stare at her face. He didn't want her to die. It didn't matter what he said. _He didn't want her to die._ He crawled over to where she was and touched her cheek.

"She's still alive!" Tifa yelled, feeling for her pulse on her wrist, afraid to touch her neck or her head for fear of making things worse. "Oh god, she can't die!"

"I didn't want this to happen!" Kadaj gasped out, eyes blurred with unshed tears.

"I know you didn't," said Tifa, pulling him back as the ambulance arrived and took care of her.

"I'm going with her," said Kadaj.

"It's best if you stay here with Tifa," said Sephiroth, swallowing hard. His heart was in his throat, and he didn't know what to say to his own son. "Stay."

"No!" said Kadaj. "I'm going with her!"

"Let him go," said Tifa. "You can follow in your car and I'll go report this at the office and then tell Cloud," she said quickly, her nerves on end."

"Fine," Sephiroth conceded, watching as his son got into the ambulance and it took off after telling them which hospital she would be taken to.

Tifa ran back to the school after giving her information to the police. She was beyond freaked out and she was barely able to tell the principal what had happened outside. As she walked out of the office and made her way towards Cloud's classroom, she ran into Zack, who immediately recognized that something was wrong by the look on her face. "Is Denzel okay?" he asked quickly.

Tifa nodded and felt the tears threaten to overwhelm her. "He's fine. It's just…"

"I've missed you," Zack interrupted her. "You haven't returned any of my phone calls."

"Please Zack, this isn't the time. Aerith… Aerith…" she couldn't even say it. She didn't even resist when his arms came around her, soothing and strong. "She had an accident… she was hit by a car and I don't know if she… if she's still alive. And I still have to tell Cloud," she said, choking back a sob.

"Go back to class. I'll go tell Cloud," he said seriously.

Tifa shook her head. "No. I have to tell him myself."

"You need to calm down," he said seriously, his blue eyes piercing her watery mahogany orbs. "Go to your classroom, wait to dismiss your class and calm down. It's almost time to go home," he said in a soothing voice.

Tifa nodded and closed her eyes when his lips pressed against hers. His gentle touch almost broke the dam of tears and she walked away slowly, trying to get her nerves in check. It wouldn't do to freak her students out completely. She just prayed fervently that Aerith was alright.

………

After school, she told Yuffie everything and they dropped off their sons at Tifa's home before making their ways to the hospital. Zack had stopped by her classroom and had told her that Cloud had left quickly in order to see to his wife and that for the moment there had been no animosity between them. Zack had also told her that he would see her later. Tifa didn't know if she was ready to talk to him yet, especially after what had just happened, but it had to happen sooner or later.

As they stepped off on the ICU floor, Tifa spotted Sephiroth pacing. "How is she?" Tifa asked quickly.

"Still alive," said Sephiroth, pushing back his silvery hair from his face. "She's in surgery to repair a head fracture. She has a few broken ribs, scrapes and bruises. We won't know much until a few hours have passed."

"How is Kadaj?" Tifa asked quietly.

"Silent. He's in the waiting room and refuses to say a word to me," he replied, watching as Cloud—who was sitting at the other end of the hall—put his head in his hands.

"She'll pull through," said Yuffie. "We have to pray for her."

"Are you the gentleman who brought Mrs. Strife in?" asked a doctor as she approached them.

"Yes, but her husband is right over there," said Tifa, watching as Cloud jogged over.

"Maybe I should speak to you in private," she said to him.

Cloud shook his head. "No, it's fine. They are close friends of mine," he lied.

"I am Dr. Crescent-Valentine and I just wanted to update you on your wife's condition. She is stable as of now, and we are successfully repairing the damage to her cranium," she said with a reassuring smile. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief and thanked her. Then her eyes met Yuffie's.

_Crap_, Yuffie thought. The doctor was Vincent's wife and she was a friggin' brain surgeon. Life didn't get tired of kicking her when she was down.

…

…

…

…

…

…

Well, how was this chapter? Now, those of you complaining can see that poor Aerith didn't get away unscathed. Her getting hit by a car may have been a little overboard, but what's life without drama, eh? I hope everyone liked this chapter, though there was little Zack/Tifa, but the next chapter will make up for that. Also, we'll see what Yuffie and Lucrecia have to say to each other and how Aerith will come out of all of it. Vampyric Ninja, I managed to find a place for Tseng and Elena, but I don't think I can handle another couple in the story right now. And for YesAnimeCharactersCanBeSexy, there's some teenage angst for you. Hope you both liked it! For everyone else who reviewed and commented, thank you very much! You have no idea how you make my day whenever you take the moment to leave feedback. Thanks again and I hope to have another chapter out soon!

Joey


	10. Denial

…………………………………

**Denial**

…………………………………

Lucrecia waited a moment for the other people to walk away and she watched the smaller woman. She only had a few moments to speak to her before she had to return to the surgery. "I recognize you better now. Vincent had some pictures of you that he kept for a long time. At the grocery store, I didn't recognize you at first because I was just so tired from getting off of a very long shift. But I realized it was you later on. You haven't changed very much," she said with a small smile, one which Yuffie did not return. "He's not a bad person, but Vincent has been sad that he cannot get close to his son," she said quietly.

"And you think that's my fault?" Yuffie asked flatly. Who did this woman think she was? She knew nothing of what was going on between Vincent and their son.

"No, but I think that you should try talking to your son about giving him a chance," said Lucrecia.

Yuffie felt her eyes go cold. "It's up to Vincent whether he can win over my son's respect. I won't interfere there and you shouldn't either. This does not concern either of us," she said pleasantly, trying to keep her cool.

Lucrecia eyed her for a long moment. "You're very pretty," she said softly.

Yuffie almost cackled at the absurdity of a beautiful, successful woman calling her pretty. Though she had never been one to worry over her looks, looking at the doctor now was making her feel insecure. Lucrecia was all that she wasn't, and Yuffie could see why Vincent had gone after her and married her. In addition to being a doctor, Lucrecia was tall, had a killer figure, a smooth, beautiful face, and she seemed like a good person. "Thank you," she replied uncomfortably. Then something occurred to her. "Uh… you know, my son hasn't yet met your daughter. I think it would be good for him to get to know his sister. Unless… you haven't told her yet that she has a brother?"

Lucrecia looked a little uneasy as Yuffie mentioned her daughter. "Look, I don't know how much Vincent has told you, but… Laura—our daughter—isn't his biologically. I know you and I don't know each other at all, but I just thought you needed to know that. She's my daughter, and he has taken care of her as if she were his own."

Yuffie didn't show how shocked she really was at the revelation. Vincent wasn't the father of his wife's kid? Did that mean that she had cheated on him, or was the little girl a product of another relationship before he had come along? Well, it wasn't her business, no matter how curious she really was. "Well, I guess we don't have anything else to say to each other," said Yuffie.

Lucrecia just nodded once. "He loved you for a long time."

Yuffie shrugged. "But you made him forget me, so congratulations to you," she said, not at all meaning it. She refused to even think about the kiss Vincent had forced on her.

"At least you have his son, and that's one thing I won't ever be able to give him. So I can only ask you—plead really—for you to help Vincent form a bond with his son. I think they both need it," said Lucrecia before she walked away and back into the OR.

Yuffie just stared after her and shook her head. Her words about not being able to give Vincent a son were none of her business. She wanted to keep as much distance as possible between her them, so he was on his own when it came to their son.

………

"Are you okay?"

Kadaj looked up from where he had been staring into space and saw Tifa. What he would've given up to have her as his mother. He remembered her from his younger years, when he had been best friends with Denzel. The taste of Tifa's homemade cookies had always been the best. He wanted to be angry at her for knowing about his mother, but he just couldn't. In all honesty, Tifa had been the only mother figure he had ever known. "I'm fine," he said in a flat tone.

"You're not," she said gently. "And it's okay. You found out something big today, and it's okay if you're not fine. I know you may not want my help right now, but… I'm here for anything you may need, okay?" she asked.

Kadaj nodded and allowed Tifa to hug him tightly around the shoulders. He slowly pulled away and managed a half-smile. "I'm gonna get some fresh air. Can you please tell my father that I need some time alone?"

Tifa nodded. "Sure. Just don't be gone too long." Kadaj nodded and slowly walked away, not noticing his father take the seat he had just vacated. "He went to get some fresh air. He'll be back in a little bit."

Sephiroth sighed and nodded. "He's been very passive for a while now, and that worries me more than the yelling."

"Well, he almost saw his mother give her life for him, how would you really expect him to react in a situation like this?"

"I'm worried that when he sees Aerith again, he'll blow up completely. I know her husband doesn't know about us yet, but he will suspect if Kadaj wants to remain by her side. It's not our business to let him know that his wife had a son with another man."

"Don't worry about Cloud right now. Worry about Kadaj. He needs you in this moment more than ever," said Tifa seriously. "He may be hurt now, but he will understand why you kept his mother's identity a secret. You just to have to be strong because these next few days are not going to be the easiest."

Sephiroth smirked faintly. "Wow Tifa, you're such a great support," he said, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. Tifa slapped his arm and then gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Be strong for yourself too. I know this isn't easy for you."

"I'll be fine," he murmured.

"I know this is my entire fault… I'm sorry," she said guiltily.

Sephiroth shook his head. "This had to happen sooner or later. It was my mistake for not talking to Kadaj about it and easing him into the knowledge that his mother was close by. Don't feel guilty," he said, pressing a kiss to her temple before walking away as well.

Tifa stood and walked out of the waiting room, spotting Cloud by the elevators, looking pale and miserable. She stopped in front of him and sighed. "She'll be okay. She saved Kadaj from getting hit by the car."

Cloud just nodded. "I've been a real asshole to her these past few days."

"You don't say," said Tifa, trying to keep her sarcasm to a minimum. It wasn't the time to pile more guilt over the man's shoulders, no matter how much he deserved it. "Well, all you need to do is show her that you love her and that you're by her side. No matter what."

He didn't catch onto her meaningful words and just nodded absently. "I just… I just hope that she doesn't have any kind of permanent damage after this. When I arrived a while ago, the doctor told me that they would put Aerith into a coma after the surgery, in order for her brain to heal."

Tifa watched him and felt her heart fill with sadness for the man she had once loved. It didn't matter that he was trying to take Denzel from her; she had always been a bleeding heart for other people and she hated that the most about herself. "Hey," she said, pulling him into a comforting hug. "She'll be alright. All we have to do is have faith, okay?"

Cloud nodded against her and held her tightly, trying to hold in the despair he was feeling. He didn't want to end up crying like a baby in such a public place. He was also aware of the fact that though he had made Tifa miserable for the past few weeks as well, she was offering him comfort and a shoulder to cry on if he wanted to. It had always been one thing he had loved the most about her, her compassion for other people. "Thanks, Teef," he murmured, feeling her nod against his shoulder.

"Don't worry about—" Tifa looked up just in time to see the elevator doors slide open and Zack walk out. "—it," she finished slowly. Great. Now he would get the wrong idea and that was the last thing she needed right now.

Zack's eyes narrowed as they settled on Tifa, who was in the arms of her ex-husband. He tried to hold in the burning feeling of jealousy inside of him, but there was just something absolutely infuriating about seeing the woman he loved in the arms of another man. Someone who had held her that way and even more intimately before he had come along. He watched her draw away from Cloud and cleared his throat to make his presence known to Cloud.

Cloud looked from his face to Tifa and he crossed his arms over his chest defiantly. Tifa managed a smile that was more a grimace and let out a sigh. "Cloud, could you give Zack and me a moment?"

"I'm going to go get a cup of coffee," Cloud muttered, eyeing Zack again before walking away slowly.

Zack took her hand and pulled her down the hall, away from where the nurse's desk was and where the patients couldn't be disturbed. "You want to tell me what you were doing hugging that guy? I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't he the one who has been trying to take your son from you?" he asked darkly.

Tifa gave him an annoyed look. "It was just a friendly hug," she said petulantly.

"Right, and I'm a monkey's uncle," muttered Zack.

"You'd fit the part," she said waspishly, watching as his eyes narrowed. "Look, this isn't the moment for us to be arguing. Aerith is stable as of now, but she's still not out of danger," Tifa said with a heavy sigh.

"Well, it's good to hear that she's okay, but that's not why I'm here and you know it," he replied. Tifa let out a tired sigh and nodded. "Look, about Scarlet and her kid. I don't think she's mine. I won't know for sure until we have the tests done, but I know what kind of woman she is. I don't want to lose you because of this."

Tifa looked at him sadly. "And if she is yours? I'm willing to bet Scarlet gave you some type of ultimatum."

Zack nodded. "She did, but I have never responded well to ultimatums. If the child is mine, I will gladly take care of her and I'll be there for every step of her life. If Scarlet doesn't cooperate, I'll take this to court and demand joint custody or something of the likes. Please, Tifa, I don't want to throw away all the good things we've had in this time that we have been together. I… I love you," he said seriously.

Tifa felt her resolve crumble into tiny pieces at his words. She moved forward into his arms and squeezed him tightly. "Me too," she murmured, smiling as he kissed her temple. "I love you too."

"Then will you be with me again?" he asked hopefully. He couldn't even begin to describe how it had felt when she had refused to return his calls or to speak to him. They had only been that way for a few days, but they had felt like hell.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," he replied, leaning forward to kiss her. Her lips were soft and pliant against his, so sweet that he didn't want to think about never tasting her this way again. Scarlet wouldn't get away with whatever she was planning. He would make sure of it. He drew away from her and cupped her face, smirking slightly. "I don't ever want to see his hands on you again, or I won't be held responsible for my actions."

Tifa didn't know whether to believe him or not, but the possessive look in his eyes was very serious. She wrinkled her nose and hugged him again. "You're so hot when you get all jealous," she teased, remembering what he had said a while ago to her.

Zack chuckled and took her hand as he guided them back towards the waiting room. "You know," he whispered. "I ran into Seph's kid while I was coming up here. Why is he still here? He usually doesn't care about other people."

Tifa sighed and shrugged. It was too late to hide the secret from him now. "Aerith is really Kadaj's mom. It's my fault this is all happening." At his questioning look, she explained everything that had happened, from Denzel and Oren spilling the beans, to Aerith almost giving her life for her son.

"No, sweetheart, don't think that. It was just a… very cruel twist of fate," he said, squeezing her shoulders. He was still reeling at the news that Seph's secret woman had been Aerith. They had been best friends for a long time, but had lost track of each other for a bit during SOLDIER. Maybe during one of his leaves Seph had gotten together with her and Kadaj had resulted from it. All Zack remembered was meeting the little shrimp when he had been a snot nosed three-year-old and his mother had been nowhere in sight. Sephiroth had refused to talk about her at all.

"Just don't tell him that I told you. I've been talking about this to too many people and Cloud still doesn't know. It's up to Aerith whether or not she will tell him now," said Tifa quietly. She smiled when Yuffie walked over to them and winked.

"Did you sort things out?" the smaller woman asked them.

Zack nodded and Tifa just pinched his cheek gently. "How about you? What did Vincent's wife say to you?"

"She wants me to talk to Oren to soften him up a little. She says Vincent is sad because he's not getting anywhere with Oren. I told her it isn't my business whether my son accepts him or not and that neither of us should interfere," Yuffie said. "Did you see her, Teef? She's like a supermodel," she muttered.

Tifa just shook her head. "You're a pretty woman, too, Yuffie. I don't know why you never saw yourself the way other people did. Many guys in high school were after you, did you forget that?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Yuffie gave her a flat look but then grinned. "Is she the best friend a girl could ask for, or what?" she asked Zack.

"You know, I may be jealous that she loves you more than me," he said with a grin, making a sound when Tifa elbowed him. "I was kidding, geez. I know that you love me differently than what you love her," he muttered.

Tifa smiled brightly and just shook her head. "Come on, let's go wait a while longer. I don't want to go without knowing that Aerith is okay," she said with a heavy sigh.

"Come on, baby, I'll sit with you," said Zack, wrapping an arm around her as all three walked towards the waiting room again.

Yuffie watched them with a small smile on her face and tried not to feel envious of her own friend. She loved Tifa to death, but now she had a man who wanted to take care of her and who loved her. It was something to be envious about, but in a good way. She wanted to have someone like that again, since from the moment Vincent had left her, she had given up on having someone to love. Reno had been her friend with benefits for many years now, and she knew that sooner or later either of them would get bored of it, or they would find someone else. She didn't want to pine her entire life over a man who had broken her heart. She _wanted _to move on and having Vincent ever present in her life was not going to help in accomplishing that. Maybe it was a good idea to make things smoother between him and Oren. That way Oren would spend time with Vincent _outside_ of her home. Yuffie sighed to herself and stared out of the window to the city. She would talk to her son later on. She just hoped that Vincent didn't decide to visit his wife while she was there. It would make things very awkward and uncomfortable.

…………

"I don't think your mom will be happy that you took her car without asking," stated Oren as he and Denzel walked towards the hospital where Kadaj's mom was being treated.

"Well, her phone is off so there was no way for me to ask her, was there?" he asked snidely. "Besides, there's some apologizing that I—we—need to do."

Oren shrugged. "You think that guy won't just want to bash our noses in? I mean, he looked pretty unstable when he found out about his mom." As they were about to enter the building, his crimson eyes caught a flash of silver and he stopped his friend. He motioned over. "Look, he's right there."

Denzel looked over and let out a loud breath. "Come on," he said, approaching the other guy. "Hey," he said in greeting.

Kadaj looked over slowly and sighed. "Hey."

They all looked at each other and shared a tense moment. Denzel sighed. "Look, we're sorry that we said all those things to you. I know that it wasn't the best way to find out that your mom was close to you."

Kadaj just nodded. "It's alright. You're not the ones I'm angry at," he muttered.

"You should at least give your mom a chance to explain herself," said Oren.

"She had plenty of times to tell me that she was my mother and she didn't. She abandoned me for sixteen years. It's not so easy to just let her into my life again, even if she almost gave hers for mine," he said dryly.

"You know," said Denzel. "Oren is in a similar situation. His dad left his mom before he was even born, and he didn't know a thing about her being pregnant. Now he's back and he wants to be in his life. You think he deserves to have the chance?"

"Thanks for laying out my business like that," grumbled Oren. Denzel just smirked and waited for Kadaj to reply.

"Well, he didn't know you even existed, why hold that against him?" Kadaj asked.

"Because he never even bothered to contact my mother. He left and never came back. He remarried, had another kid with his wife, and now he wants to make things up to me? Nothing will ever erase watching my mom cry because she was heartbroken over him. If he wants to be a part of my life, he's got to earn the right," said Oren darkly. Denzel just shrugged.

"What about you? Any issues with your parents?" Kadaj asked him. He remembered he had once been close friends with Denzel, but they had drifted apart and had stopped hanging around years ago. He felt more comfortable while he was alone, but sometimes he missed having friends to hang out with and who knew what he was going through.

Denzel nodded. "I found a paper in this drawer. My mom doesn't know I know already, but my dad is being a jerk and he's going to fight my mom in court for my custody. He's got another thing coming to him if he thinks that I'm going to willingly go with him," he snapped.

"I guess we all have our problems," Kadaj said with a faint smirk.

"Look, if you ever wanna hang out, let us know," said Oren. "Sometimes we hang at Denzel's or my house with a few other friends. We generally pig out and play video games. Sometimes we even go as a group to play paintball and other stuff. You can come too, if you want."

Kadaj nodded and felt his anger and resentment lift a little. "Alright. Give me a call to let me know," he found himself saying. They exchanged their phone numbers and walked in companionable silence towards the elevators.

Just as the doors were closing, someone else stepped in and Oren recognized him immediately. Vincent looked at the teens in surprise and offered a very small smile to them all. "Hello, Oren," he said quietly.

"Hey," Oren replied, not at all comfortable being in such an enclosed place with his father. Denzel and Kadaj watched the other two curiously. Kadaj realized that the man was Oren's father, since the color of the eyes and hair made it glaringly obvious. The tension in the elevator was suffocating and it made the space seem even smaller. The doors finally opened on their floor, and Oren rolled his eyes when his father stepped off there as well.

"He couldn't have gotten off on another floor," Oren complained so that only Denzel heard him.

"I would really like to speak to you one of these days," said Vincent. "There are many things that I need to explain to you."

"Right," Oren said flatly. "You're going to explain why if you're married to some other woman you had your tongue down my mom's throat?" he asked snidely. Denzel and Kadaj looked uncomfortable.

"I…" Vincent just trailed off and didn't know what to say. "It was a mistake that I regret deeply." Though that wasn't really the truth, he wasn't about to tell his son. He was barely even handling the situation himself. Just the thought of Yuffie with another man, even while he himself was married to someone, made him want to kill something.

"I think I should go," said Kadaj.

"Keep in touch," Oren said as he and Denzel shook hands and the other teen walked away. Denzel just gave his friend and his father a little bit of distance.

"I watched my mom cry for you, years and years. I don't want you messing her up again," Oren said darkly. "You may be the man who gave me half of what I am, but that doesn't mean you're my father. If you want to be a part of my life, respect my mother," he said seriously.

Vincent nodded and looked away from his son's piercing gaze. He may have had his coloring, but the boy had his mother's glare and her short temper. "Again, I apologize for what I did and when I see your mother, I will apologize to her as well."

"Apologize for what?" asked a voice from behind them. Both turned to look at Lucrecia, who was pulling on her white doctor's coat. She looked from her husband to his son and found even more similarities between them than the last time she had seen the teenager. Vincent cleared his throat.

"Why don't you ask him and see if he'll tell you? I have to go find my mother," Oren said before he walked away.

"More problems?" Lucrecia asked him softly, leaning in to kiss his cheek.

Vincent nodded and he spotted Yuffie as Oren stopped in front of her. His eyes met hers and she stared at him for a moment. Something passed between them that he couldn't stop, and he had a feeling that Lucrecia had seen it too. Then she walked back into the waiting room with their son and the moment broke into pieces. "I said some things that I shouldn't have," he said simply.

Lucrecia cleared her throat and wished that she hadn't been privy to the look Vincent and the mother of his son had shared. She wanted to believe that her husband had come to love her, but she believed the saying, _'you never forget your first love.' _She knew the story behind Vincent's separation from that woman, but it didn't make her heart hurt less, knowing that some part of him still loved Yuffie. "I should go update my patient's family," she said, walking away before he had a chance to say anything else to her.

When she walked into the waiting room, the only people in the room were the ones waiting on Mrs. Strife. She offered a smile, but didn't dare to look at Yuffie, not knowing what look would be on her face when she did. "The surgery was shorter than we had originally thought, which means that there was less damage than we had predicted. That's good news, of course, but she will have to remain in the coma until we make sure that there is no more damage that we may have missed. She will be in a private room in about an hour."

Cloud shook her hand and nodded. "Thank you very much for saving her."

"You're welcome. If you have any questions, let the nurse know and I will be with you as soon as I can," she said before she walked out of the room.

Tifa smiled in relief and patted Cloud's shoulder. "You see? She's fine now, there's no need for you to worry so much."

Cloud gave her a half-smile and nodded. "Thanks for being here, Tifa."

"Don't worry about it," she said, her fingers entwining with Zack's. "We'll come by tomorrow to check and see how Aerith is doing," Tifa said before pulling him along.

Yuffie just offered Cloud a very short and small smile before she walked out with her son too. Cloud may have been in pain at the moment, but he still wasn't one of her favorite people. Hopefully this tragedy would make him see how irrational he was acting. As she began to walk away with her son, she spotted Vincent talking quietly to Lucrecia as she made a few notes in a little notepad she had in her hand. The doctor then looked up and offered him a sweet smile. Vincent returned it, but much smaller and reached up to touch her cheek. Yuffie looked away and felt her heart hurt in her chest. It was one thing to just imagine them together, but another thing entirely different to see them together with her own eyes.

"You okay?" Oren asked her before they stepped onto the elevator.

Yuffie smirked bitterly. "Just peachy, kid. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

………

Kadaj avoided his father for the remainder of the evening, though he knew that the man was still around. His thoughts were conflicting with each other, but his resentful side, the side that he had tried to ignore and the side that held his hurt feelings, was still winning. He couldn't bring himself to forgive his mother so easily, even when she had saved him from being the one hurt and in a hospital bed. Of course he was sad that she was in that state at the moment, but one act didn't erase sixteen years of abandonment. He just couldn't, no matter what way he looked at it.

A while later, he found himself stepping into the room she had been placed in. Something squeezed painfully in his chest at the sight of her. Her head was bandaged and her face was scraped, a section of her cheek was still raw and already turning a shade of purple. There was a brace on her wrist and her arms were also scraped and bruised. He walked over to sit at her side and let out a shaky breath. She looked so different from the pretty woman he remembered she had been only a few hours ago. The lids were closed over her emerald eyes, and Kadaj thought about how he had her eyes. His father's eyes were green too, but a very different shade. He didn't know how he felt about having her eyes, but he supposed it was okay, since he looked mostly like his father. Maybe a part of her punishment was that he looked very little like her.

Kadaj tentatively took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. He watched her as she slept, trying to imagine what he would say to her when she finally woke up. Maybe he should practice with her when she couldn't hear him or reply to any of his words. "Look, I know I said that I wished you were dead, but… that wasn't what I wanted. I'm not ready to forgive you for abandoning me and… I don't know if I ever will be. It would just be good if you… made it out of this alive."

He looked at her face again and swallowed hard. "I know my dad may not have shown it, but you did a real number on him too. I don't think I ever saw him with another woman more than once. Maybe… maybe he's been waiting for you to come back to him?" he shrugged, silver hair falling over his eyes. "I don't know. I never really gave him a good chance at getting to know me, and I think that it's because I thought I didn't need him, or you. When you wake up, I'll probably be a little bit of a jerk to you, but if you stick around and show me that you can deal with it, maybe I'll forgive you some day… _mom_."

Cloud had been in the process of entering the room when he had stopped at the end of the one-sided conversation. He froze and wondered if he was hearing correctly. His blood ran cold and he stared at the boy as he squeezed Aerith's hand. "What did you just call her?" he asked softly.

Kadaj looked up and gave him a blank look. "…I called her…"

"Mom? But that's impossible. I would've known if she'd had any children," said Cloud, feeling anger threatening to take over.

"I don't know if she was ever going to tell you, but I barely found out today. She pushed me out of the way of an oncoming car because I was yelling things at her and my father. You know, she had me right out of high school and then she abandoned me," said Kadaj matter-of-factly.

Cloud shook his head. She wouldn't have been capable of doing something so… so _cruel_. He couldn't even begin to believe what the boy was saying. But now that the silver-haired teen looked at him head-on, he could see the similarities between him and his wife. Kadaj had her eyes, the color and the shape, and he seemed to have some of her facial features, though his coloring made him look more like his father.

Cloud just shook his head and looked at her, so pale and nearly lifeless on the hospital bed. Everything he had ever thought of his wife was crumbling before him, all the love for her sweetness, her comprehension, her compassion. She had changed from what she had been in high school, and he had fallen in love with her all over again, but he could see that it was all a lie. She had been capable of abandoning her own child. He stormed out of her room, his thoughts running rampant in his head. His eyes narrowed when his gaze fell on Sephiroth. Everything suddenly made sense. He knew why she had been acting strange for the past few weeks, why he had caught her in that man's house and why she had been out at dinner. Had she been cheating on him too? How much did he really know his wife?

"She's his mother?" Cloud asked darkly. Sephiroth eyed him for a moment and then nodded. "Why didn't you ever say anything?" he nearly yelled.

"Don't take this out on me. She left me and Kadaj when he was a baby. She never looked back and she never tried to get in touch with him. Tell me, why should I have said anything to you?" Sephiroth asked calmly.

"The Aerith I know wouldn't have been capable of doing something so…"

"She isn't the angel you had thought she was. It takes someone who is stone cold to abandon a baby for so long," said Sephiroth calmly.

Cloud just shook his head and walked away from him. He didn't know where he would go, but he wouldn't be returning to the home he had shared with a woman who wasn't who he thought she had been. He passed the nurse station and went for the elevators. He just couldn't be near Aerith knowing what he knew now.

"Cloud?" asked Vincent, noting the look on the other man's face. "Are you okay?"

The blond man just shook his head and didn't know if he could explain to his old friend what he had just found out about his wife. "I can't be here right now," he muttered.

"I'm going home. Do you want to have some drinks?" Vincent asked. Cloud just nodded and followed him out to the parking lot where they split and agreed to meet at Vincent's place. Though his friendship with Vincent had revolved around silence, he needed a friend at the moment. Now that he felt like everything around him was breaking apart.

………………

"Tifa, my love, don't kiss me like that unless you want to find yourself in a very compromising position," murmured Zack as he and Tifa got reacquainted with her couch.

"Don't you dare Zack. Denzel could come back at any moment," she said, trying to keep their touches as chaste as possible.

"What, you don't think that Denz hasn't done this with Marley already?" Zack asked her. Apparently, he asked the wrong thing because Tifa suddenly sat up and almost made their heads collide. "Oh, come on, Tifa! He's a teenage boy, there's not much else that he's thinking about."

"He's sixteen, Zack!" she said, voice a little frantic. The door suddenly opened and Denzel and Marlene walked into the house, stopping when they noticed Zack laying on the couch and Tifa sitting up on the edge, hair a little in disarray.

"Oh, gross. Do you guys have to do that on the couch that _I _like to sit on?" he asked his mother and her boyfriend. He froze at the look on Tifa's face. "What?"

"Have a seat you two," said Tifa, standing up and running her hands through her hair. Zack watched her curiously and sat up as well. He wanted to know what was on her mind. Tifa began to pace and let out a heavy sigh. "I know that this is a difficult time for kids your age," she started. "Your father may have had that talk with you already, Denzel, but I think we need to talk too."

Denzel had a sneaking suspicion as to where this was heading. "Mom, don't talk about this now," he said. Marlene gave him a questioning look, but he just shook his head.

"You're at a time in you life when you want to try new things, and you start to feel differently towards each other," she said, thinking of the best of way of putting it. Zack put his head in his hands and almost burst into laughter.

Marlene blushed as she looked at her uncle. Her own father had refused to talk to her about sex yet, telling her that she would always be his baby and that he didn't want her 'tainted' by all that stuff yet. "But Tifa, we're not—" she started.

Tifa wrung her hands. "That's okay, but eventually you will want to, and it's perfectly normal of you do, just as long as you both know what you're doing and you use protection," she said.

Denzel felt like crawling under a rock and dying. Why was his mother doing this to him? "Mom, dad did have that conversation with me already. I know what it's about, and Marley says that though her dad refused to talk to her about it—"

"I did," finished Zack. "So you're embarrassing them for nothing, sweetheart," he said to Tifa.

"This is nothing to be embarrassed about," said Tifa firmly. "I just thought to tell you that you should be safe. I don't want to be a grandmother before you two graduate. I can't begin to tell you how hard it is to raise a baby when you're barely an adult yourself."

"We understand, mom, but I think Marlene and I would be safer hanging out at the mall or something," said Denzel, cheeks still a little pink as he took Marlene's hand and pulled her along towards the door. "I can still borrow the car, right?"

Tifa nodded and smiled a little bit. "Remember to take a moment to discuss your protection options!"

Denzel just shook his head and ushered his girlfriend out the door. "If Marlene breaks up with me because of this, I'll blame it on you, mom," he said before he shut the door.

Zack couldn't hold in his laughter any longer. Tifa turned to him and watched him until he couldn't even breathe. He clutched at his middle and that was why he didn't see the hand that swatted him over the head forcefully. "I don't think that that was a laughing matter," she said dryly.

"Oh, but Tifa my love, it was. I can't believe you did that to your son while Marley and I were here to see it," he said, still gasping a little for breath. "Thanks for the laugh, by the way."

"Yeah, well you just keep on laughing. Just for that, you're not getting anything today. Be it food or more," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and beginning to walk off. She nearly screeched when arms came around her and turned her around, almost pulling her off her feet.

Zack pressed her against his chest and looked into those deep, reddish eyes of hers. "You sure you don't want to rethink that, love?" he asked, lips moving over her neck, hands wandering to more private places.

Tifa let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes as he found a sensitive spot on her neck. She smiled slightly and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss. "Maybe we should move this upstairs," she murmured. "I don't want Denzel and Marlene to come back in time to see a demonstration," she said with a faint giggle. "Besides, I like you better with your back flat on my bed," she murmured.

Zack kissed her and began to walk them up the stairs, Tifa still pressed against him. "We'll see who ends up on their back," he muttered before they made it into her bedroom and shut the door.

………………

A while later, they sat in silence, slowly sipping on vodka. "Are you going to share what has you all in a twist?" asked Vincent as he poured them another drink.

"Not yet." Cloud looked around and spotted a few pictures of Vincent with a little girl. She couldn't have been older than ten. "Where's your kid?"

Vincent frowned into his drink. "With Yuffie." He hadn't even realized that Cloud was talking about the girl.

"I didn't mean Oren, I was talking about the girl."

"Oh. She's sleeping over at a friend's house."

"Why did you automatically assume that I was talking about your boy?" Cloud asked suspiciously.

Vincent eyed him as Cloud poured them a little bit more. "I don't think _I _want to talk about that yet."

"Fine," said Cloud. A long while later, he was ready to speak, but his voice was a little slurred. "I found out Aerith has a kid with another man. A kid that she abandoned when he was a baby," he said, gulping down what was left in his glass. "I had her on a f-friggin' pedestal, and she wasn't who I thought she was." His vision blurred a little as he watched Vincent pouring the alcohol into their cups again. "I gave up Tifa to be with her. My son hates me because I fucking divorced his mother. Tifa hates me. Denzel hates me. I hate me… and Aerith. Maybe I should just fucking kill myself now. No one will miss me," he ranted, falling back onto the couch and wiping at his chin, where a little bit of tequila had trailed down.

"Y-you should make amends before killing yourself," muttered Vincent. "Make things right with your family. You can't just go and leave unfinished business."

"Yeah," replied Cloud. Thoughts of suicide fading away. He probably wouldn't even remember them once the hangover kicked in. "W-why did you leave Yuffie, man? The last time we talked, you even showed me the ring you were going to give her."

Vincent took a swig out of the bottle and winced as it burned a little. "Her father. He made me leave. Made me think I was worthless. I thought she would be happy without me, so I never looked back. Then I married Lucrecia, and she was already pregnant. She told me she had thought of making me believe that the girl was mine, but she told me the truth, _after _we were married," he said, taking another swig.

"Tough shit. Did she cheat on you?" asked Cloud.

Vincent shook his head. "We weren't in an exclusive relationship. Though I wasn't seeing anyone else, she was. I accepted the girl because I wanted to be with Lucrecia. I wanted to forget Yuffie."

"Did you accomplish it?"

"I don't know. I don't know what I feel when I look at Yuffie. Seeing her with another man makes me angry," he growled out softly.

Cloud grabbed the bottle and took a swig too. "Maybe…" he hiccupped slightly. "Maybe you should tell her that you still love her."

"But I don't."

"Denial isn't just a lake in Egypt," slurred Cloud.

"It's supposed to be denial isn't just a river in Egypt," muttered Vincent.

"Whatever," replied Cloud, his eyes drooping as he leaned against the couch, falling asleep within seconds.

Vincent blinked and looked around the room. It was already dark and instead of there being only one bottle of tequila, there was also one of whiskey and one of vodka joining it on the coffee table. He hadn't even been aware of how much alcohol they had both consumed. He stood and tilted sideways, blinking as he tried to find his way around his living room. He threw a blanket haphazardly over Cloud and slowly walked out of his home. He looked around and had enough sense to not go for his car, knowing how drunk he was. Instead he walked.

…

…

…

…

…

Hehehe, drunk Vincent and Cloud are funny. So, how did I do with this chapter? More drama and angst for you all, and a little bit of humor. I can just picture Tifa having a motherly conversation like that, even though it embarrassed the hell out of the kids. Well, at least Tifa is now with Zack again, Cloud knows the truth, and where is Vincent going? Many of you may ask yourselves if that's all Cloud deserves. Honestly, feeling cheated is a big enough punishment. It hasn't happened to me, but I have seen what cheating does to people, especially those who are family. All the men in my family are jerks, I'll tell you that much, and I've seen what kind of damage lying and cheating can do.

Anyway, Lucrecia and Yuffie still haven't seen the last of each other yet, and Aerith won't make an appearance any time soon. Tifa and Zack have a few things coming up, as well as Vincent and Yuffie, so stay tuned for that. Thanks so much if you took the time to review the last chapter, I love to hear from you guys, even if it's only a few encouraging words, or curse words—as long as you're not cursing _me _out, hey feel free to express yourselves. Also, I tried my best to fix the typos and errors, but I'm sure there were a couple of more left in there. I'm already working on the next chapter so I hope everyone has a great week!

Joey


	11. The Blame Game

Warnings: Just use of a lot of profanity…

………………………………

**The Blame Game**

………………………………

Vincent squinted up at the house. He didn't know if he had gotten the correct place, but it looked kind of familiar. It was a miracle some type of public safety people hadn't picked him up for public drunkenness. He knocked a few times on the door and waited, feeling his head spin and making him feel dizzy. It felt like hours later when someone finally opened the door, and he was thankful to see her face. "Yuffie…" he trailed off.

She ran a hand through her hair and scowled. "What the hell are you doing here in the middle of the night?" she hissed.

"I walked over. It took… took longer than I had thought," he replied, frowning at his feet. "I'm sorry… for waking you… for leaving you… for loving you the way I do…"

"You don't know what you're saying. You stink of alcohol and you probably won't remember this tomorrow," she replied. He looked pretty pale and she had a faint idea of how much he had imbibed. He really did reek. "Go home, Vincent. Is there someone I can call so that they can come get you?"

"Why… why can't I stay here? Are you with someone?" he asked, trying to look into her house.

Yuffie rolled her eyes and knew better than to argue with someone who was drunk. "Because you're a married man and you have a place to go to already," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. The movement made his eyes move to a place he wouldn't have looked at so explicitly had he been completely sober. "Put your eyes back in your head," she said darkly, pulling her robe over her short tank top and cutting off his view.

"You're even more beautiful than I remember you," he murmured, reaching up to touch her cheek gently.

Yuffie stared at him and was reminded of the way he had touched his wife earlier that day. Her thoughts turned in her and she found that she had leaned into his touch. "Leviathan," she growled softly. "Come in before you pass out. I don't think I'll be able to haul you up without falling over on me, and I don't want to wake up our son so that he can see you this way." He stumbled inside and Yuffie shut the door. "You're pathetic, Vincent," she sneered.

"Being with you never made me feel pathetic," Vincent murmured, running a hand through his long hair. "It's being without you that has made me pathetic."

"Just lay down on the couch and I'll make you black coffee so that you can go back to your wife," she said, walking towards the kitchen.

"She's not home, never is… but Cloud is there now. He's drunk too…" he rambled to no one in particular.

_Figures_, Yuffie thought to herself. She tried to keep her mind blank as she boiled the water and prepared the caffeine filled drink. She didn't want to think of what he had said to her, nor of the saying that drunks and children always told the truth. When she walked out of the kitchen, he was laying down on her couch, eyes closed and seemingly passed out.

She set the coffee on the coffee table and sat down on the edge of the couch he was on, taking a moment to look over his peaceful features. Unconsciously, her hand wandered to his face, touching gently at his jaw, then his cheekbone. She almost fell off the couch when his hand reached up and grasped her around her wrist, red eyes half-lidded. "I thought you were sleeping," she spluttered, looking away from those familiar eyes.

He didn't answer; instead he just pulled her hand towards his lips and kissed her knuckles. Then he pulled her forward, towards his chest and they would've collided nose to nose, had she not put out her hand to stop the fall. They ended up in a very compromising position, with her half on top of him and their lips centimeters away. "I can't sleep, knowing that you're close by," he murmured.

Yuffie tried to pull away, but the hand on the small of her back was like steel. She looked into Vincent's eyes and found that he hadn't been lying about still loving her. She could see it in those usually guarded crimson orbs. Before she could try moving away, he lifted his head and their lips met. He kissed her gently, almost afraid that she would break if he was too rough, and she let him. He tasted of alcohol, and just that was enough to remind her that he wasn't in his right mind to be doing something like this. When she pulled away, she didn't slap him, mostly because he had leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes, but also because her heart stopped her. There was no use in denying the fact that she still loved him, but he was a married man, and she just wasn't the type to interfere in what appeared to be a happy marriage.

She sat up when she felt his arms go completely limp and stared at Vincent as he slept. "I truly wish things could've been different between us, but we're too late. We can't fix anything between us now." A few tears escaped her hold and she wiped them away. "We're over Vincent, and we always will be," she murmured, touching his cheek one last time.

Yuffie was unaware that her son had just been privy to her words. Oren sighed sadly and ran a hand over his tired eyes. He didn't know what to do anymore. He couldn't be angry at his mother because she had cried enough tears over the years, but he couldn't keep placing all the blame on his father either. All he could do was keep his father away from his mother as much as he could, and that could only be accomplished if he put some effort into getting to know his father. _'I guess it's time for a change of heart,' _he thought to himself before walking towards his bedroom. He really did hope that his mother would be able to find happiness sometime soon.

……………

Tifa smiled to herself as she watched Zack sleeping in her bed. He just looked so cute while he hugged a pillow, thinking it was her. She didn't want to wake him up, but she had to get going. She and Yuffie had made plans a few days ago to have breakfast together and then they would go shopping for a few things they needed. After brushing out her still damp hair from the shower, Tifa leaned down and pressed a kiss to Zack's cheek before grabbing a coat from her closet and walking out of her room. She nearly stepped on the pup as it ran right by her.

"What are you doing up so early, Bug?" she asked softly, picking up the little thing and walking him outside so that he could do his business. She couldn't believe she had let Denzel name her puppy, but he _had _been taking care of the puppy more than she had, so she supposed he had more right than she did. It was also a good thing that Bug was getting the hang of what he had to do in the backyard and where; he had a designated spot. Minutes later, they walked back into the house and Tifa poured some kibble into his puppy plate and refilled his water bowl. Then she scribbled a quick note for her boys and walked out of the house and to her car.

When she arrived at Yuffie's home, she wondered if she would have to use her spare key because her lazy friend still hadn't woken up. She knocked a few times and waited patiently. A few seconds later, Oren opened the door and let her in. "Morning kiddo, is your mom up yet?" she asked with a smile.

"Morning, aunt Tifa. Dunno about mom," said Oren. "I was on my way to the bathroom when I heard the door."

"I'll go look for her then," said Tifa as Oren nodded and walked off to do what he had been about to do before being interrupted. She opened the door quietly, like she usually did because Yuffie didn't mind, and looked around, noting that the bed was empty. "Yuffie?" she asked.

"Tifa?!" Yuffie asked, startled. She walked out of her closet, already dressed in clean clothes, but the shower was still running.

"Did you leave the water running?" Tifa asked with a frown. "Or is someone here with you?" she asked with a smirk.

Yuffie paled and floundered around for an answer as the water shut off. A few minutes later, someone stepped out. "Tifa, this isn't what it looks like," she said quickly, turning her back to Vincent, who was looking at them with wide eyes.

"Vincent?" Tifa asked.

"Good morning," he greeted, dark circles under his eyes.

"I'm sure it is for you two," said Tifa, turning and walking towards the door. She couldn't believe Yuffie had been capable of sleeping with a married man. "I think I should just go. You're obviously busy."

"Tifa!"

"Please don't," Vincent said, walking towards her. "I came over last night… drunk. I slept on her couch. Nothing happened between Yuffie and I and she was kind enough to allow me to use her shower," he muttered.

Tifa looked at her friend and Yuffie nodded, looking away from her. "You should know me better than that, Teef."

Vincent looked from one woman to the other and felt a sense of guilt invade him. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble. You won't ever have to deal with me in this regard again. Thank you again, Yuffie," he said before walking out the door and leaving the women alone.

Tifa sighed. "I'm sorry I just barged in and assumed the worst of you," she said.

Yuffie shook her head and looked guilty. "I let him kiss me, Tifa. Yesterday, while he was drunk, he told me that he still loved me, and I… let him kiss me."

"But you didn't let anything else happen and that's what matters," Tifa replied.

"Yeah," said Yuffie, and she didn't want to think and analyze what she would've done had Vincent tried for more. "Why don't we just get going to breakfast? I want some coffee," she said with a small smile.

Tifa nodded and walked with her. She had a faint feeling that her friend wasn't as okay as she let on. Having Vincent in close proximity was affecting her and it was only a matter of time before she either exploded or gave in. She just hoped that Yuffie didn't end up hurting innocent people in the process.

……………

Her head was throbbing rhythmically as she blinked awake. Where was she? What had happened? She couldn't remember much, except for Kadaj's hate filled words as he had stormed out of the school after finding out that she was his mother. She hadn't wanted him to find out that way, and Aerith knew that it had been much worse that he had. Her eyes took in what looked like a private hospital room, and she winced as her eyes tried to adjust to the light from the window. Her entire body felt sore and her head hurt near her temple. Then her eyes settled on a shine of silver and she nearly cried when she saw that Kadaj was there, sleeping against her bed with his head over his crossed arms.

"He's been watching over you for days now. I don't understand what is going through his mind, but don't fool yourself. He's still very much hurt and he won't be easy to handle," said a voice from the other side of the bed.

Aerith looked over and noticed that Sephiroth was leaning against a window that had been out of her view. "How long has it been?"

Sephiroth sighed. "Nearly two weeks since the accident. You should know… your husband knows about Kadaj now. He hasn't been by since the day of the accident, when he found out."

She couldn't help the tears that invaded her eyes. They fell one by one and she didn't stop them. Then Kadaj started to blink those beautiful eyes, and they met hers. He sat up slowly and watched her, looking like he would leave the room if she said the wrong thing. "Thank you… thank you for watching over me," she murmured.

Kadaj shrugged. "It's more than I can say of you," he said, standing and heading towards the door.

A sob caught in her throat and Kadaj froze at the door. He couldn't let her tears influence him. Aerith wiped at her face with her unhurt hand and tried to calm herself. "I'm sorry, Kadaj. You don't know how sorry," she said before he walked out the door. She turned to look at Sephiroth and found him watching her.

There was a knock at the door and Tifa poked her head in. Her eyes flew wide and she ran into the room, taking Aerith's hand in hers. "I'm so happy that you're okay!" she said with a bright smile. "You don't know how worried we've been," she said as Yuffie walked in right after her, a vase of roses in her arms.

"I'll give you a moment," said Sephiroth before walking out the door.

"Sephiroth…" Aerith called from her bed. He stopped but didn't turn to look at her. "Thank you too, for being here." He made a noncommittal noise and walked out, shutting the door after him. Aerith turned to Tifa and Yuffie and managed a sad smile. "I need a friend right now, Tifa."

Tifa nodded and squeezed her hand. "I'm here for whatever you need. Have you… have you heard from Cloud?"

Aerith shook her head and tried not to cry again. In her quest to get her son back, she had lost the man that she loved, or at least she thought she loved him. But seeing Sephiroth so close by… she didn't know what to think and thought that her brain was probably broken or something. "I know I've hurt him beyond anything, but I need to speak to him, Tifa. Do you think you can convince him to come see me?"

Tifa sighed. "I don't know. He's pretty hurt right now, Aerith. I don't know if he even wants us to talk to him about you. But I can try. I'll try my best to get him to come see you."

Yuffie watched the two women and sighed. She felt out of place. Aerith wasn't her friend and they knew nothing of each other. Maybe she could get some fresh air. "I'm going to take a walk in the hospital gardens, if that's okay. You two get reacquainted, okay?"

Tifa smiled and nodded as her best friend walked out. As Yuffie passed the nurses station, she caught a glimpse of Lucrecia and felt guilt settle in her stomach. The doctor looked at her and they shared a tense moment. Yuffie noticed that she wanted to speak to her, but couldn't bring herself to care. "Uh, Aerith is awake," Yuffie said before she walked past her and towards the elevators. She didn't want to interrupt Aerith and Tifa's conversation, but she knew the importance of the doctors examining her to see that she was okay now.

As she strolled out in the gardens, taking in the fresh air and watching as a few patients took walks and basked in the sun, her thoughts turned to what Vincent had said in his drunken stupor. "He couldn't have been serious," she muttered to herself. She was trying to convince herself of those words, otherwise he would break her heart again and again.

"What if I was?" asked a deep voice from behind her.

"It's better for us all that you weren't," she replied, not turning to look at Vincent. "And what are you doing here? Go to your wife, she must be wondering where you spent the night."

Vincent flinched at the mention of Lucrecia. She had probably been to busy in some type of surgery to even notice that he wasn't home. "I don't think she noticed that I wasn't there," he muttered, reaching up to take Yuffie's upper arm. He turned her around slowly, and was caught by the resentment in her eyes. The feeling made them shine and darken into almost black. He had always loved her eyes. "We don't have the perfect marriage everyone believes," he murmured.

"That's not my fault Vincent. I won't be the cause of a broken marriage. I won't risk having my son hate me," she said, twisting her arm out of his grip. "Stay away from me, Vincent."

"Why? Are you afraid that you'll do something rash if I remain a constant in your life?" he asked, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her to him. Yuffie yelped slightly at his strength, but pushed against his chest with both hands. Though she had her ninja training, she wouldn't be able to escape him unless she wanted to really hurt him. "Are you afraid I'll do this again?" he asked, leaning down to capture her lips in a kiss.

"Don't," Yuffie hissed, pushing away from his seeking lips. "Take your hands off of me, now!" But then he was kissing her again and her resolve was quickly dissolving under his assault.

"I stand by what I said," he murmured, finally releasing her and reveling at the blush on her cheeks.

"What part?" she asked snidely. If he tried to touch her again, she would totally kick his ass.

"Everything. Most importantly, that I still love you," he said without hesitation.

Yuffie felt the tears burn in her eyes, part of them were caused by anger—because how dare he tell her he loves her when he's a married man—and the other part was that sadness from the girl she had been—because he had been and still was her only love. She was torn between calling him a liar and believing him. She couldn't believe him for the sake of her sanity. So she did the best thing she could at that moment. She walked away from him though her heart was telling her not to.

Vincent let out a long, sad sigh and watched her go. He got the feeling that every time he came near her, he hurt her even more, broke her heart a little more, but for the life of him, he couldn't stay away. He realized that he loved her too much to let her go. He just had to figure out a way to make her see that he didn't want to hurt her again. He turned and entered the hospital to visit the woman he had thought he loved. He didn't know how much more he would be able to take.

……………

A new week, and a new school day, Tifa mused. She was worried about Aerith and how lonely she probably was. She had been in the hospital nearly two weeks now, but when she and Zack had been by to visit her, Tifa had been shocked to see Kadaj still there. He had only muttered about being there for a little while before he would leave. Sephiroth had told her that the teen refused to go into Aerith's room to actually face her. She hadn't yet found the moment to speak to Cloud because he avoided her at school, and he didn't take anyone' calls. That had Tifa worried, which had prompted another round of nagging on Zack's part, which had been a step away from becoming an argument between them. Really, how could she not worry about the father of her son? He wasn't a bad man, he was just very foolish and he was feeling betrayed at the moment.

Tifa sighed to herself and walked to the main office to pick up her attendance roster, trying to keep a stack of papers from falling off of the text books she was carrying. She lost the battle and the stack fell in a shower of student essays. She cursed fluently in her head and placed the books on the office counter before she squatted and began to pick up as fast as she could.

"Let me help you with that!" a deep voice said as he began to pick up the papers that had landed almost out of the open door. Tifa smiled gratefully and looked up, only to be encountered with a rather handsome man with a sweet smile on his face. "Here you go, Miss," he said, handing over her essays.

"Thank you," said Tifa shyly. She cleared her throat and reminded herself that she had a rather possessive, but completely sexy, boyfriend already. "I don't believe we've met," she said. "My name is Tifa Lockhart."

"Reeve Tuesti," he said, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "I'm new here, that's why we haven't met before now, which is a shame really. I've never met anyone with such beautiful eyes," he said honestly.

Tifa fought down a blush and gave a nervous laugh. "What are you going to teach?"

"I'm just here temporarily. I will substitute your biology teacher that was hurt in an accident," he said. "It's taken them a long time to find someone, and meanwhile the kids aren't learning much from the subs."

Tifa nodded in understanding. "Yes, you're here to take Aerith's place. Well, I wish you the best of luck on your first day," she said brightly.

"I hope to see you around, Miss Lockhart," said Reeve.

Tifa just smiled. "You can call me Tifa. I have a sixteen year old son and the word _Miss_ makes me feel a little too young," she said with a small laugh.

Reeve returned the smile and nodded. She had a son that age? She looked too young to have a son already, but it didn't matter. He hadn't seen a ring on her finger, which meant that she was either a widow or divorced. "Have a pleasant day, Tifa," he said.

She nodded. "Thank you for helping me with the papers, Reeve," she said before she was gone, a small smile on her face.

……………

Zack scowled to himself as he the people in the main office told him that Sephiroth would be taking a few days for himself. As far as he could remember, his old friend hadn't missed a day of his job since the moment he had started, years ago. But he supposed that watching over his son was more important than watching over the other little larvas that insisted on getting into unnecessary trouble each day. That also meant that he wouldn't get any work done because the office would ask _him _to substitute Seph, even to watch over the teens during their morning break and then at lunch.

He was in Seph's office, trying to figure out what he would do next, when there was a knock on the door. He walked over to open it and felt his blood run cold. His eyes narrowed in near hatred and he stepped out of the office instead of letting the person in. "What are you doing here?" he asked flatly. "And how did you know where to find me?"

A sly smile curled at the man's lips. "I didn't know you had done so well for yourself. At first I thought you were the dean, but obviously your name is not Sephiroth."

"The last person I want to see right now is you, Genesis. All I want is to bash your face in and this isn't the time or place for me to do it," he said darkly.

"Then I guess I chose the moment well," said the man that had once been a close friend. "There is something of dire importance that I need to speak to you about."

"There's nothing I need to say to you, at least not in my work place," Zack nearly snarled. "Leave. I won't tell you again."

"It's about Scarlet and Deidre."

That stopped Zack completely. "What about them?"

"Can we go to your office?" asked Genesis seriously.

Zack eyed him suspiciously for a moment and nodded. "You've got five minutes and then you're gone." As he closed the door to his office, he let out a breath to calm his anger. He wanted to hear what the man had to say about Scarlet and the little girl. "I'm listening."

"I know that she's trying to make you believe that Deidre is yours. I don't know what she's up to, but I want to clear one thing up. That child is mine. I'm sure of it," said Genesis seriously.

Zack just looked at him. "How can you be sure? She was sleeping with you while she was with me. There's a chance that the kid is mine, and we won't know for sure until we get the paternity test done."

"I was there at her first appointment. The day Deidre was conceived coincides with the time when we were together, just her and I. It was a close call because a few days earlier, and you would've been the father," said Genesis. "But I agree with you. We need the proof that she's mine. You're willing to take the test?"

"As soon as humanly possible," said Zack.

"You have a new lady?" asked his ex-friend.

"We're not friends anymore. I don't want to share my life with you because you betrayed our friendship. Having her leave me didn't matter, but you, Seph, and Angeal were my closest friends. Your betrayal was far worse than hers. Just take down my phone number and call me when you're ready to get the test done. Am I to assume that you're going to do it behind Scarlet's back?"

"Legally, I am Deidre's father, so I have a right to take her to get the test done. I will find a highly accredited lab where we can get guaranteed results and then I will let you know," said Genesis, standing and walking towards the door. As he opened it, a pretty little thing nearly ran into him.

"Oops, sorry," said Tifa with a polite smile. "Excuse me."

"Don't worry about it," said Genesis, watching as the woman walked past him and towards Zack. The look on his old friend's face was amazing. He had never seen that look on Zack when he had been married to Scarlet. "You must be Zack's new reason for living."

Tifa looked at him and just then realized who he was. The reddish hair should've given him away from the moment she saw him, but she was a little fuzzy that morning. "And you must be Genesis," she commented, trying not to notice how handsome he really was. Wow, did SOLDIER go around recruiting unbelievably hot men? Zack, Sephiroth, and now Genesis? She hummed to herself and was very curious to meet Angeal, another old friend of Zack's that had moved away years ago.

"Ah, I gather he's told you all about me," said Genesis dryly.

Tifa nodded. "He has. I think that on some degree he thanks you for what you did."

"What?!" Zack blurted out. "Tifa, how can you possibly call his betrayal something I'm thankful for?"

"Well, if he hadn't run off with Scarlet, you and I wouldn't be together now," she said with a sly smile. That shut him completely up and Genesis smirked at the look on Zack's face.

"I suppose that you know about the dilemma we have with the girl?" asked Genesis. Tifa's smile fell a little and she nodded. "Don't believe what Scarlet says about her. I am Deidre's father and Zack and I will prove it through the DNA test."

Tifa nodded and managed a smile. "Good luck to you then."

Genesis shook his head. "I won't need it because I am sure that she's mine," he said, walking the small distance towards her and taking her hand in his. He laid a gentle kiss on her knuckles, and Tifa was momentarily reminded of Reeve, but then she heard the growl coming from Zack and she drew her hand away as politely as she could. "It was nice to meet you, Tifa. It's good to see that Zack found himself someone ten times better to share his life with," he said before he was out the door, leaving them alone.

Tifa turned to look at Zack and smiled, putting a pouty look on her face when she saw that he was scowling. "Don't get jealous again. He barely even touched my hand," she said, leaning up to kiss him slowly, sucking on his bottom lip.

Zack tried to hold on to his resentment for Genesis, but Tifa was doing something he thoroughly enjoyed to his lips, and it was proving quite difficult for him to keep thinking about anything in particular. "At least he isn't willing to fall for Scarlet's game. Let's hope that he really is the father."

"You're telling me that you wouldn't want to be a father?" she asked softly.

Zack shook his head. "That's not it. I mean, I _would _be happy if she actually turned out to be mine, despite who her mother is. But I want my first kid to be yours too. I know we're not at that point yet, and that we talked about it already, but if I ever have a child, I want it to be with you."

Tifa smiled at him and kissed him again. "Keep being the wonderful man that you are with me, and eventually we will get there," she said with a bright smile. "But right now, I have to get to my class before the bell rings."

"I'll miss you," he said, taking a moment to draw her into a kiss again.

"Me too," she said, giggling when he kissed her again and again. She jumped when the bell rang and pulled away from him reluctantly. "Now I'm late. You see the things you do to me, Zack?"

He just chuckled and walked her out the door. "I'll see you at lunch, love."

Tifa nodded and blew him a kiss when no one was looking and walked off quickly. She caught a glimpse of his smile and reasoned that she didn't mind being late to her own class if she got to take that smile with her. As she rounded the corner towards her class, she spotted her students standing outside of the locked door, looking impatient and hopeful that maybe their class had been cancelled, despite the fact that they all loved her. As she reached for her keys, Tifa felt her vision sway slightly and she had to stop and lean against the lockers. She blinked a few times and rubbed at her eyes, wondering what was wrong with her.

She shook it off and took a few breaths before resuming her walk, the momentary lapse getting pushed to the back of her mind as she told her students that they would turn in their homework at the beginning of class today. She didn't have time to ponder about what that moment in the hall had really been.

…………

"Aren't you just adorable," Tifa murmured as she played with Bug and the little pup made tiny growling sounds.

"Why thank you, but I prefer the term, 'dead sexy.' But adorable works too," said Zack as he got into bed with her and pulled her against his chest, grunting when the puppy bit his fingers quite hard. "Hey, watch it runt!"

"Don't talk to the baby like that," said Tifa, reaching up to rub the little head, trying to sooth the hyper pup. She let out a long sigh and smiled as Bug curled up into a little ball at her side and finally relaxed.

"What's the matter?" he asked, beginning to kiss her neck. "You seem worried."

"How can I not be?" she asked, letting out a sigh as his kisses moved up to her jaw. "I mean, Aerith won't be out of the hospital and she still needs to try to fix her relationship with Kadaj. Then there's Cloud. He won't answer my phone calls and at school, I rarely see him anymore. I'm worried about him the most." She started when his kisses suddenly stopped and he drew away from her. "What?" she asked with a frown.

"I don't want to hear it about Cloud. Am I the only one who remembers all the shit he's ever done to you?" asked Zack.

Tifa sat up and stared at him. She had heard him curse many times before, but never had he sounded the way he had then. Was he still jealous? "Zack… please don't start all that jealous crap again. I asked you before, how can I not worry when he's going through a tough time?" she asked impatiently.

"How many times were you going through tough situations after he left you? Did he stop to consider how much damage he did to you?" Zack asked, getting under the sheets and turning his back to her. "All I'm saying is that you shouldn't worry so much about him, when clearly he didn't give a damn about leaving you alone with a teenaged son to go off with another woman. This has nothing to do with jealousy."

Tifa had no reply to that and she stood up, grabbing the puppy and walking to the kitchen to put him in his little bed. The little pup didn't much like it, but he had to get used to not sleeping on beds. She sat in the kitchen for a while, keeping Bug company and sipping on a glass of warm milk, trying to shake the thoughts of what Zack had said to her. He should've known by now that she was too compassionate for her own good, that she just couldn't change who she was, even when she had been hurt by Cloud. She knew that though Zack had claimed that jealousy had nothing to do with it, that's what he felt on some level. He had been betrayed too, and she understood that her intentions could be misinterpreted. But she didn't want Cloud back, she just wanted _Zack_ to make her happy.

By the time she made it back to her bedroom, Zack was asleep, still with his back to her. She pulled the sheets back carefully and slid into bed, turning her back to him too. Maybe tomorrow morning would be a better time to speak to Zack again, she knew that he must've been on edge because of Genesis' visit, maybe all he needed was a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, sleep didn't come easy to her that night.

………

Yuffie sighed guiltily to herself and searched around the restaurant for the person she would be meeting with. She hadn't wanted to come, but he had almost pleaded with her, apologizing for what he had done to her at the hospital. She didn't know why she had accepted, but she couldn't back out now. She was just thankful that Oren hadn't even asked her who she was going out with.

"Looking for a good time, baby?" asked a low voice from behind her.

Yuffie turned, ready to kick the daylights out of whatever perve had decided to mess with her tonight, but her lips pulled into a grin when she recognized the mischievous blue-green eyes and the unruly red hair. "Hey, freak-boy, what are you doing here?" she asked, pressing a light kiss to his lips, as had been custom between them for years now.

"I'm on a date," he admitted, hiking a thumb randomly over his shoulder. "She's nice and all, but I get the feeling that she won't put out until I marry her or some shit like that," Reno muttered.

Yuffie smirked and rolled her eyes at him. "That's how normal dates usually work. You get to know the person, and wait to have sex until you see it's going to work between you. It's time for us to settle down," she said with a shrug.

"So, who are you here with?" asked Reno, putting an arm around her shoulders and looking around the nearly crowded restaurant. She figured it was a pizzeria, but it served different types of foods, and it was all delicious.

"Me," said Vincent, approaching them from behind.

Yuffie's eyes narrowed at the tone in his voice. They were not on a friggin' date, for Leviathan's sake. "Reno, this is Vincent. Vincent, this is Reno."

"Right. Right. You're Oren's pop, aren't you? The man who broke Yuffie's heart?" asked Reno coldly.

"I don't think that's any of your business," said Vincent in a dark tone.

"You're right. It's not. But thanks man, you've made my life a whole lot happier. She's the best woman a guy could ask for," Reno said in a taunting voice, moving forward to slip his tongue in her mouth before she could protest.

Vincent nearly snarled when he noticed that Yuffie wasn't pushing him away. He'd had enough. He yanked hard enough to make Yuffie stumble towards him, and he moved forward as Reno smugly wiped at his lips with his fingers. "Don't touch her that way while I'm around," he said in a dangerous tone.

Reno merely looked at Yuffie and blew her a kiss and a wink. "Why do you care? Huh? You're a married man, aren't you? Or is your wife giving you the cold shoulder in that area?" he asked smugly.

Yuffie wanted to kill someone when she heard rather than saw a fist hit flesh. Reno grunted and lunged forward, returning the punch in the face. They would've gotten into an all out brawl had Yuffie and security not interfered. "I can't believe I accepted to meet you here, Vincent. You're nothing but a manipulating asshole. I don't need you to defend me from Reno because I happen to enjoy what he does to me!" she spat before she marched out the door.

Both Reno and Vincent watched her go, and Vincent was highly aware of the fact that everyone in the restaurant was watching them avidly. He turned to glare at Reno as the man radiated smugness. "You heard her, she likes what I do to her." He suddenly went serious. "Hurt her at your own peril. She may not want someone to defend her, but that's what I'm here for. I _will _kill you if you make her cry again," Reno said before he walked away, towards his date.

Vincent clenched his hands into fists and raced out of the restaurant, hoping that Yuffie hadn't left yet. He realized that it had started to rain, but he caught her as she was unlocking her door and foolishly placed a hand on the door to try to stop her from closing it. He didn't count on the force she used to pull it closed and it caught his hand. He yelled out in pain; it hurt like hell and he cursed the door up and down as she quickly opened it. Vincent clutched his hand to his chest and took in a few deep breaths, letting them out slowly.

"Why the hell would you do something so fucking stupid?!" she yelled at him, though she didn't know if she was referring to him starting the fight with Reno or putting his hand on the door. "You have no right to do what you've done to me! I moved on. You broke my heart, but I moved on and you can't accept it! Why?"

"Because I love you!" he yelled right back, leaning over until they were nose to nose. "Is that so hard to believe? I loved you when I left, I loved you when I made the decision to step out of your life, thinking it would do you good. I loved you when I married Lucrecia, and I loved you when I found out that we had a son together. And I love you, even now after I've just found out that you fuck that guy in there on a regular basis!"

Yuffie stared at him for a long moment and tried not to let his words get to her, but she just couldn't help it. Damn it, she loved him too, maybe even more than how she had loved him during high school. How could that be when he had broken her heart? Before her brain had time to catch up to what her body was doing, her lips were on his in a desperate kiss. Feelings of love, anger, resentment, and guilt were swirling around in her head and making her do irrational things. She drew away, breathless and completely soaked through because of the rain. Vincent was still cradling his hand, but it had been momentarily forgotten while she had kissed him.

"Consider that a goodbye," she said, the rain nearly carrying off her voice. She was thankful that the rain drops falling over her face were hiding the tears. "You're married… and I'm not a bad person. No matter how much it kills me to see you with her… I won't hurt her. Goodbye, Vincent," she said before getting into her car and driving away as quickly as she could.

His hand began to throb in pain, forcing him to look away from Yuffie's disappearing car. The pain just didn't compare to what he was feeling in his heart. Again Vincent saw her walk out of his life, and there was no one else to blame but himself.

…

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Woohoo! I'm on a roll here! Two updates in one week is a record for me, so give me some love peeps! I've had it done for like two days already, but I felt weird just having it there when it was already done. Also, the next chapter is almost done too, so if I'm in a good mood, I _may _update in a few days again. Anyway, I changed a few things and included Aerith in this chapter. This is how I originally had outlined the chapter, but then some things wouldn't coincide, so I changed it. Then I thought better of it and changed it back. Sometimes I can't make up my mind and I end up back where I started. Anyway, enough about my nonsense, how was this chapter?

Okay, so a poll for the Vince/Yuffie fans--you too Vampyric Ninja, though you _should _be studying, I appreciate you taking the time to visit the fic and commenting--should I give them their own smutty moment later on? Not the next chapter, but sometime soon. I mean, would that make me a hypocrite when I comment on infidelity? Dunno really, so I'll let you guys decide. Lucrecia is my least favorite character—ever—but it would be sad if she got cheated on. So you tell me if you can or want to in your comments. Now, moving on, there's trouble in paradise for Zack and Tifa, and what will Cloud and Aerith say to each other if he decides to talk to her? Drama is coming up my peeps, so be warned. For those of you who reviewed that last chapter, thank you much! The feedback was great and I can't wait to hear what you think of this one. I hope everyone has a great week!

Joey

P.S. I've noticed that I seem to eat a couple of words when I'm typing. I've tried to fix that, but sometimes I just don't see them. Sorry!


	12. What Ifs

………………………………

**What Ifs**

………………………………

Zack groaned in annoyance as he felt something wet and rough slide over his nose. "Geez, Teef, all you have to do is ask for it," he muttered sleepily. A whimper reached his ears and he smiled, his mind not yet reminding him that he and Tifa hadn't really gone to sleep on friendly terms. He opened one eye and was nearly cross-eyed when he came face to face with… "Bug. What the hell are you doing on this bed?" he growled, sitting up and glaring at the thing that had decided to interrupt his sweet dreams.

Then he remembered the words he and Tifa had exchanged and his eyes darted to her side of the bed, just to find it empty. He frowned and stood, walking to the bathroom to wash his face free of puppy drool as well as to brush his teeth. He had some apologizing to do and he had no idea on how to go about it. When he was as refreshed as he possibly could be, he walked over to the bed and picked up the dog, noting that he had used a knocked over stack of magazines to get up onto the bed. He made his way down to the kitchen, expecting to be met by Tifa's glare, but he only encountered the smell of toasting waffles and Denzel sitting at the breakfast table, looking sleepy.

"Want some waffles?" asked the teen, pointing to the box of frozen waffles.

"Doesn't Tifa usually make them fresh for you?" asked Zack with a frown.

Denzel shrugged. "Not all the time. Sometimes she gets up late on the weekends and I have to get my own grub. Besides, she isn't here right now. I thought she had told you," he commented.

"Told me what?" asked Zack, wondering if he wasn't going to like what the boy told him.

"She finally got a hold of my dad and she went to see him. She said that she needed to convince him to go talk to Aerith, but I don't really understand. I mean, she abandoned her kid and lied to my dad, why should my mom do her any favors? And why is my mom being all nice to my dad now, after all the crap he's put her through?" asked Denzel, grabbing his waffles and pouring syrup over them.

Zack felt his blood run cold at the news of Tifa being with Cloud. He didn't care what she said about the man. What was really bothering him was the sure knowledge that the other man was still in love with her. He trusted Tifa, but he didn't trust her ex-husband. Now that Cloud had been betrayed by his current wife, he would probably turn back to Tifa, and Zack wasn't about to let that happen. He would be damned if he gave the other man a chance to get into Tifa's life again.

"I'm on your side, man," said Denzel, a piece of waffle in his mouth. "My dad has interfered with her too much and I don't want them to be together again. I don't think he was ever good for her, and it's sad, because he's my dad and all, and I _should _want them to be together. But I just don't," he kept muttering.

"You and me both, Denz. And I'm not going to let that happen," he said, getting to his feet and walking off to get dressed. If she wanted to support Cloud, fine. But that didn't mean that he couldn't be there with her, watching the other man so that he didn't get any funny ideas. He just hoped that Tifa wouldn't give away the fact that they had had an argument because of him.

……………

Tifa watched Cloud as he got into the car next to her with a tired sigh. She eyed him critically. "Have you been drinking?" she asked, noting that he looked hung-over.

"Let it go, please, Teef," he said quietly, taking the coffee she was handing over. "I don't know why I let you convince me to see her today," he said impatiently.

"You have to talk to her sooner or later. There's a lot you need to say to each other," she said softly, driving towards the hospital. "I understand that you're feeling betrayed, but she had her reasons for leaving behind her son, and I think you need to hear them."

Cloud shook his head. "Is this how you felt when I left, Teef? This deep feeling of betrayal right in your stomach?" he asked quietly.

Tifa refrained from telling him that it had felt so much worse. "She's not a bad person, Cloud. She just made a mistake that she's paying for. Her son won't come close to her, though he's hanging around the hospital, and Sephiroth resents her. Now she has to deal with the knowledge that she hurt you too. She knows all this and it makes her feel sad, guilty, but most of all… alone."

Cloud sighed and drank his coffee quietly. He had nothing to say to that, but he supposed Tifa was right. He needed to get this over with now, before the scars in his heart healed and were forced open again. They shared an almost comfortable silence as Tifa drove to the hospital, but Cloud felt that knowing guilt start to eat at him again. Tifa had always been an amazing human being, and he had hurt her beyond anything. He kept hurting her still, even now, by trying to take Denzel from her. Geez, he had a lot of apologizing to do. When they arrived at the hospital, Cloud couldn't help but notice that Tifa was looking faintly green. "Are you okay?" he asked her as they walked towards the elevator.

Tifa grimaced. "I don't know. I'm feeling kind of nauseous. It's just that I haven't eating anything and I had some coffee," she said, letting out a breath.

Cloud was still worried, but before he knew it, they were standing on the floor where Aerith's room was located. His eyes went cold when he saw that Sephiroth was standing in the hallway, leaning casually against the wall. Why was that man still there? Cloud paused when he felt Tifa's hand on his arm. He turned to her, thinking she was going to justify Sephiroth's presence there, but he only had a moment to see her holding her head before her knees gave out from under her. He caught her just in time and picked her up in his arms gently, worry clouding his features.

Sephiroth jogged over and looked at her in worry. "What's wrong? What happened?" he asked the blond.

"I don't know. She just collapsed," Cloud replied, running towards the nurses sitting at their desks. "I need help," he said quickly. "She just fainted and I don't know why." He ignored the other man and walked away.

"Bring her this way," said one woman, leading him towards an empty room where there was a gurney for him so set Tifa down. "You say she just collapsed?"

Cloud nodded in worry. "Just a few minutes ago she looked a little sick, pale in the face. She said that it was probably because she drank her coffee without eating anything."

The nurse took some notes and nodded. "Do you know of any allergies we should know about before I notify our on call resident?"

He shook his head. "She has none."

After nearly ten minutes of watching over Tifa's pale face, Cloud was beginning to get agitated, but then the nurse walked into the room again and was holding something in her hand. She placed it under Tifa's nose until the brunette started to blink awake. She grimaced and jerked away from whatever it was that she was smelling. "What happened?" she asked with a frown.

"You fainted," said Cloud in worry, taking her hand in his.

"The doctor will be right with you. She'll ask you a couple of questions and she'll figure out what was the cause of your faint," said the nurse before walking out.

Cloud looked at Tifa in worry. "Are you sure you're okay? You worried me just now," he said quietly.

Tifa shook her head. "I'm feeling fine, though my head does hurt a little. I've been okay, and getting dizzy just started yesterday, I think. I got dizzy while I was walking to my classroom, and then today, when we were on our way here. I think it was the smells that influenced that."

There was a knock at the door before a woman in a white coat walked in. "Good morning, I am Dr. White. I was called to come check on you. What seems to be the problem?" she asked.

"I fainted, and I've been having dizzy spells since yesterday," said Tifa.

"Maybe I should go," said Cloud.

Tifa shook her head. "Stay here, please. We still have something important to do and I don't want you running off," she said with a small smile. Cloud just rolled his eyes and nodded before moving out of the way.

The doctor wrote a few notes in the brand new chart in her hands before moving over to check her temperature and her blood pressure. "When was your last period?"

Tifa thought about it for a moment and then realized something. When had she last gone to the doctor to get the contraceptive shot? No, no, no. she couldn't have been so careless!

"Mrs. Lockhart?" the woman asked. Tifa looked at the doctor and muttered the dates almost automatically. Also putting in that she had missed her last shot. The doctor nodded and then smiled. "Well, all evidence points to that fact that you may be expecting. All we have to do is get you a pregnancy test to make sure."

Tifa saw Cloud stand up straight at the woman's words. She shook her head. "When I was expecting my first son, I felt the symptoms and I knew my period was beyond late, but it wouldn't come up on a regular test. I had to wait for the blood test," she said softly.

"Okay then, let me go write the lab order and then I will have the nurse draw your blood sample. You are aware then, that you won't know the results for about three days?" asked the doctor.

Tifa nodded and slowly sat up. "Yes, I remember. You will be the one to give me the results?"

"Yes. But from then on I will have to refer you to an OB-GYN, because I don't specialize in pregnancy," she said. "I will call you when the results are ready. I'm sure there is much you need to talk about with your husband," she said, smiling before walking out of the room.

"My husband?" Tifa asked with a faint smile. Cloud just watched her and said nothing. "What do you know, I'm probably pregnant," she murmured, thankful that this time her heart was filled with happiness and not dread the way it had been with Denzel. She had been young and inexperienced back then, but now she had Zack, no matter that they weren't on speaking terms at the moment.

Cloud tried to ignore the look on her face, the shine in her eyes, but it was proving quite hard. He realized that in some deep part of him, he had harbored a hope that one day Tifa would be his again. Now that was an impossibility because she was probably having another man's baby and she couldn't contain the love she felt for that man. He had done so many things to her himself, had hurt her so much, he wouldn't have deserved a second chance with her. What he deserved now was her hate, and he would gladly take it if it meant that she would some day forgive him. But first, he had more to face. "I think I should go see Aerith now," he said quietly.

Tifa nodded and managed a small smile. "Don't worry about me. I think I'll be here for a while, or at least until my blood gets drawn. You'll wait for me when you're done talking to her?"

Cloud nodded and walked over to press a kiss to her forehead. "Congratulations, Teef. Believe it or not, it makes me happy to see that smile on your face." Tifa watched him go with a frown on her face, wondering what he and Aerith would say to each other. She just hoped that they came to some type of resolution.

Cloud knocked on Aerith's door before walking in. She looked up from where she was trying to sit up and grimaced in pain. Her eyes settled on him sadly and she let out a sigh, giving up her fight with the pillows. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Aerith shrugged one shoulder and rubbed at the other with her good hand. "Slightly better than I did yesterday. It's good to see you again, Cloud. I'm glad you remembered I was here."

"Don't make me out to be the bad guy," said Cloud darkly.

"Right. The only bad guy here is me," she nearly spat. She was tired of feeling down, and if Cloud thought he could make her feel worse, he had another thing coming to him. "My son—the child that I abandoned for sixteen years—has been here more than you have. What does that tell you about him and yourself?"

Cloud's eyes narrowed. "It only tells me that his father did a good job—maybe a better job than you could've done—in raising him. But I'm not here to argue with you. I just want to understand how you would be capable of leaving him for so long. How did you find the heart to do it?" he asked her, trying not to sound disgusted.

Aerith felt her eyes burn with tears once again. "I thought that he would grow to be a better person without me. And I messed up, big time. He hates me, and I think I screwed up his life permanently. I don't think he'll ever forgive me, and I don't think I'll ever forgive myself. I made a huge mistake, but I can't take it back now. All I can do is try to make things right with him, with Sephiroth, and… with you."

"Look, even if I could forgive you for lying to me about this, I don't think I can forgive the fact that you left a child behind. I know you had your reasons for it, but… but you shattered the image I had of you, of this beautiful, compassionate, kind woman. I gave up my son and Tifa to be with you, to love you, and you lied to me. You kept this from me, and you were capable of being near the boy you abandoned without trying to get close to him to make things right. You had many chances to tell us both the truth, but you didn't. I don't think I can live with a person who has built their life around a bunch of lies," said Cloud with a heavy sigh.

Aerith suppressed a sob and nodded. "Then I guess we have nothing else to say to each other. I'll have my lawyer notify yours when the divorce papers are ready."

Cloud felt his heart break into pieces again, but didn't object to her words. He just couldn't be with her anymore. Not after what he had found out about Aerith. Getting a divorce would be the best thing to do for each other, and maybe that way she would get a chance to fix things with her son without worrying about fixing their marriage. It hurt like a bitc—well, it hurt like hell, but there was nothing more he could do. He had a few people to ask for their forgiveness too. "Though you may not believe it now, I wish you the best," he said to Aerith.

She nodded once and laid back on her side, wincing slightly when her ribs protested. "Yeah, you too Cloud," she said softly. When she heard the door shut quietly, she let the tears come harder, trying to muffle her sobs into the pillow. So big was her distress that she didn't hear the door open and shut once more until there was throat clearing behind her. She stopped crying and waited for whoever it was to speak.

"Do you regret leaving me?"

Aerith felt her heart skip a beat when she recognized Kadaj's voice. She nodded. "Every single day from the day I left. I know I have no right to ask for your forgiveness, but I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said with a sob. "I just… I knew that it would hurt you even more to find out who I was at this time in your life."

"It'll take time for me to forgive you and to get used to knowing that you're my mother," he said in a low tone.

Aerith slowly turned to look at him and managed a small smile. "I don't deserve to have a son like you."

Kadaj looked into her watery eyes and sighed. "I'll try my best to forgive you, but there's no guarantee."

She nodded and felt her heart get a little lighter at the small hope Kadaj had just given her. She would try her very best to make things up to her son. It hurt her heart that she had let Cloud go so easily, but if he couldn't forgive her, why fight to be with him at all? Maybe later on he would be ready to give her a chance, and she would be able to forgive herself too, but for now, her son was what mattered to her the most. She also had Sephiroth to think about, and she hoped that he wouldn't make things too difficult for her because she needed his forgiveness too.

………

Tifa was barely walking out of the room she had been in, pulling on her coat when she saw Cloud. He looked sad and defeated, and Tifa wanted nothing better than to hug him and comfort him. "Cloud?" she asked softly.

He looked up and let out a sigh. "Did you get the test done?" he asked her.

Tifa nodded and took his hand in hers. "Are you okay? Did you talk to Aerith?"

Cloud nodded. "I'm sorry."

She looked at him skeptically. "For what?" she asked softly. She guessed that he didn't want to talk about what he and Aerith had said to each other, and Tifa was okay with that.

"For everything I've ever done to you. For the grief I've put you through, trying to take Denzel away. For not understanding that you deserved better than me," said Cloud quietly. "I paid for all I did to you, just how Aerith is paying for what she did to her son and his father."

The defeat in his eyes was painful to look at and Tifa couldn't resist pulling him into a hug. "I'm sorry that you're going through all of this."

"I'm happy that you're happy, Teef. Having a baby is a big deal, and you're having one with some _new_ guy. Does he treat you right? Does he love you the way you do him?"

Tifa nodded. "He does. He's been amazing to me all these months, from the moment we met. We're kind of mad at each other right now, but it's nothing that can't be fixed," she said with a faint smile. "I'll have to tell him about the baby pretty soon. Though I don't think the test will come out negative, I'll wait until I have proof."

Cloud reached up and touched her face. "I'm going to move out of the house, leave it to Aerith, or if she doesn't want it, I'll sell it. But as soon as I get home today, I'm going to call my lawyer and I'll cancel the custody hearing. You need to have a peaceful pregnancy, and I'm going to help with that as much as possible," he said with a small smirk.

Tifa nodded and watched him quietly, trying not to cry. She didn't want him to be sad, but there wasn't anything she could really do to help him. Instead, she hugged him again and pressed a kiss to his cheek as he held her tightly. "I honestly wish you the best."

"Thank you," said Cloud, his eyes looking forward. He blinked when he met eyes a similar shade of blue as his. He slowly let go of Tifa, and she noticed the tenseness in his shoulders.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Then she followed his line of sight and felt her heart drop to her feet when she saw that Zack was standing there, watching them. There was something about the look on his face, in his eyes, that made her heart beat a little faster in worry. She had never seen him look at her that way. With a start, she realized he was angry. But why? She hadn't done anything to make him angry, why was he looking at her like that?

"Maybe you should clear up all this with him. I think he just misinterpreted what he saw," said Cloud when he noticed the confused look on her face. "I'll find my own way home."

"But…" Tifa trailed off when she remembered their argument the night before. No… surely Zack wouldn't doubt her to the point where he would think that she was cheating on him. When she finally gathered her wits, he had already entered the elevator and was gone. She ran over to the elevators and was thankful that one arrived quickly. Hopefully he wouldn't leave before she got a chance to talk to him.

By the time she caught up to him, he was at his car already, leaning against it and scowling at himself. Tifa took a few breaths. "Zack…"

He stood straight and turned to look at her. "You're going to tell me that what I saw was nothing?" he asked flatly.

Tifa nodded. "Yes. I was just comforting a friend. Don't misinterpret what you saw, Zack. You know better," she said softly.

"Do I?" Zack asked snidely. "No matter what goes on between us, you can't push him out of your life! He's always there, interfering one way or another and you can't see it. Could it be that love for him blinds you?" he asked darkly.

Tifa couldn't believe that Zack was saying those things to her. "Don't do this to us now, Zack. I got over the fact that I found you and your ex almost kissing. I'm looking past the fact that she may have a child with you. Why can't you believe that I don't care if Cloud still loves me or not? I love you, why can't you trust me?"

"It's him I don't trust, and if you can't push him out of your life—despite the fact that he's that father of your son—maybe it would be best if I were the one to walk away. I just can't compete with the man you loved for years," he said feeling as if he were tearing his own heart out of his chest and stomping on it.

Tifa shook her head incredulously, feeling her eyes fill with tears. If that's what he wanted, then so be it. She hadn't begged Cloud to stay with her four years ago, and she certainly wasn't going to beg Zack to stay now—even with a baby on the way. "I don't love Cloud anymore. You knew that I was reluctant to let anyone in after he left me, but I gave _you_ the chance. I trusted you, and I just can't understand why you can't trust me. And if you can't trust me, then maybe it is better that we're not together," she said before she turned to walk away.

"I can't believe you're throwing all of this away because of Cloud and you can't even see it," Zack called, voice cracking.

Tifa whirled around to face him, anger in her eyes. "I don't love Cloud. I love you! But you're too stubborn to see that and I don't have the strength to try to convince another man that I love him and that he needs to trust me. I'm not the one to blame here," she said before she truly walked off. She didn't turn back because she didn't want to show him her tears. He just didn't deserve to see her tears anymore.

Zack watched her go and felt the ache in his heart intensify. Seeing Tifa with Cloud had killed something inside of him, particularly when he had watched her kiss and hug the other man. He stood by what he had said to her, there was no way that Cloud wouldn't use his wife's betrayal as a way of getting back into Tifa's good graces. She would pity him and try to make him feel better. Zack realized that he had just given Cloud the perfect chance to try to get Tifa back, and that he couldn't do a damn thing about it. He cursed himself for not being able to truly trust her and got into his car. Maybe what they both needed was time. Maybe then Tifa would see that he wasn't wrong about Cloud.

………………

After spending the next few days crying and eating cookie dough, Tifa decided to stop feeling sorry for herself. She had told Yuffie about her break up with Zack, and Yuffie had told her about her permanent goodbye with Vincent. She'd also broken the news to her and Denzel that she may be pregnant, and Denzel had been happy, but disappointed that she and Zack were angry at each other. Yuffie had agreed to accompany her to see the doctor, and that was how they found themselves sitting in a patient room, waiting to hear the results.

"Are you gonna tell Zack if the test is positive?" asked Yuffie, biting into an apple.

Tifa shrugged. "I have no choice. He has a right to know, but… I wouldn't be surprised if he starts talking nonsense about how the baby is probably Cloud's. I swear Yuffie, I'll claw his eyes out if he even insinuates that the baby isn't his."

Yuffie sighed and felt sorry for her best friend. Getting the news of a baby on the way in the middle of a break-up was probably a sad moment when they should've been celebrating. "I'm thinking of taking Oren to Wutai during spring break. I'll let him see the sights and get to know the country a bit before I go confront my old man."

"Are you sure you want to do that? I mean, your father is the leader of the country, what if he decides to throw you in jail for yelling at him?" asked Tifa with a frown.

Yuffie scoffed. "The old man knows better than to send even his most trained soldiers against me. He knows all about my training and how deadly I can be when I feel cornered. He'll listen to all I have to say to him," she said darkly. Then she had an idea. "Why don't you and Denz come along with us? You need a break from all this and Oren could use some company."

Tifa liked the idea very much. She needed to get away from all that was happening, and what better way than to visit another country? "I'll have to ask Denzel to see what he thinks about it all, then I'll let you know for sure, okay?" Her friend nodded and they looked up when there was a knock and the doctor entered. "Hello, Dr. White," she said with a small smile.

"Welcome back, Mrs. Lockhart," said the doctor with a warm smile.

"It's Ms. Lockhart actually," said Tifa.

"Pardon me for asking, the gentleman with you the other day wasn't your husband then?" she asked.

Tifa shook her head. "He was my ex-husband. He's the father of my oldest son. I haven't yet told the would-be-father that I may be pregnant," she murmured.

The doctor nodded. "Well, I got the results this morning, and _may_ is not the word to use in your case. Congratulations, you _are_ pregnant," she said with a big smile.

The long haired brunette couldn't keep the tears of happiness at bay. It didn't matter that she and Zack were broken up, she was having a baby and she couldn't have been happier at that moment. Yuffie squeezed her hand and smiled. "Congrats, Teef. I'm so happy for you. I'm gonna be an aunt again!" said Yuffie cheerfully.

"I wanted another baby sooner or later and now is a good time as any," said Tifa with a smile.

"I have a good OB-GYN you can make an appointment with, or you can find your own doctor. It's up to you, but I will give you a prescription for prenatal vitamins so that you can start drinking them as soon as possible," said the doctor.

After getting the name of the doctor and her vitamins, Tifa and Yuffie walked out slowly, discussing their upcoming trip and when would be the best time to tell Zack that he would be a father in a couple of months. As they were making their ways to Yuffie's car, they almost ran into her least favorite person at the moment.

Lucrecia looked at Yuffie in near anger. "Hello, ladies," she said politely.

"How are you?" Tifa asked, not missing the fact that Yuffie hadn't said a thing. She didn't know if it was out of pure hostility, or if her friend was just speechless. Though she did realize that what Lucrecia had to say was not at all friendly.

"There is something important that I need to ask you, and I want you to be honest with me," said Lucrecia. Gone was the polite tone she had used while they had been in the hospital.

"Depends on what you want to know," Yuffie replied.

"Yesterday, Vincent wasn't home when I arrived. Was he with you?" asked the taller woman.

Yuffie gave her a cool look. "Did you ask Vincent where he was?"

Lucrecia nodded. "He refused to tell and he just went into the library to drink. If he was with you, I have a right to know. I _demand _to know."

"You can't demand anything of me. And just because your husband disappears for a couple of hours and doesn't tell you where he's going doesn't mean that he's with me," said Yuffie darkly. She knew she was a bold-faced liar, but she wasn't about to admit anything to a woman she didn't even like.

"Just tell me if he's cheating on me with you. I'd feel better if I knew. Ever since you came back into his life, he's changed. He's not the same man that I fell in love with," said Lucrecia, voice cracking. "Just tell me, was he with you?"

Yuffie nodded once. "But we didn't do anything of what you're thinking. We met at a pizzeria to talk about our son, nothing more." Though they hadn't talked about Oren at all, she wasn't going to tell Lucrecia about the argument between Vincent and Reno either. "I wouldn't interfere in his marriage."

The doctor shook her head and looked in pain. "Don't you see? You already are interfering. He's not the same man he used to be. I know that he still loves you, even when it kills me to admit it, even to myself, but I won't let him go without a fight," she said seriously.

"I'm not fighting for him. I don't take it upon myself to fight for married men," Yuffie replied bitterly. "So you can relax because I'm not interested in having any type of affair with Vincent."

"I just wanted to clear things up, and I repeat, I won't let him go without a fight," said Lucrecia before walking away.

Tifa bit her lip as she looked at Yuffie and noticed that her friend looked sad. "Oh, Yuffie, I'm sorry."

Yuffie blinked tears away and walked slowly with Tifa. "As much as I would love to prove the snotty doctor right, I'm serious about not being with Vincent. We went out yesterday, but he got into this argument with Reno. I left him there in the restaurant and walked away. But outside at the car, I kissed him. _I _kissed _him_ Tifa," she said guiltily. "I told him to consider that a goodbye kiss between us."

"But you just can't stay away from each other, can you?" Tifa asked her as they arrived at the car and got in.

"I don't know what it is about him that just keeps drawing me in, even after the heartbreak and all of these years apart," she said with a heavy sigh.

"I don't know what to say to you," Tifa admitted. "I guess life just loves dealing us all the wrong cards, huh?" she asked with a faint smile.

Yuffie laughed and nodded. "You've got that right, Teef. We just have to learn how to deal with it, don't we?"

"We do our best," Tifa replied. "Hey, how about we go to that ice cream place by my house? I'm craving a banana split."

"Cravings already?" asked Yuffie as she turned on the car.

"Yeah, but that craving is mine, not the baby's."

"Alright then. I remember how hormonal I used to get when I couldn't eat what I was craving," she said with a grin.

"Hey!" Tifa exclaimed with a laugh. "I'm not hormonal!"

"_Yet," _said Yuffie before they were off.

………………

Zack watched Genesis as he sat with the little girl in his arms. They had taken the DNA test a few days before, and were now waiting for the results. Though he didn't exactly feel any connection to the child, he realized that he wouldn't be opposed to her being his daughter. She was a pretty little girl, but he would hate to take her from Genesis if he turned out to be her father. The other man may have betrayed their friendship, but he looked like a dedicated father.

"You look troubled," said Genesis, handing Deidre a bottle of milk. At the look on Zack's face, he held up a hand. "I know you don't want to share anything with me, but I may be able to help if you'd like to tell me."

Zack shook his head. "There's nothing to tell. I'm just wondering about the results," he replied impatiently.

"Are you planning on having children anytime soon? This Tifa woman seems like a good type to settle down with. Does she have any children already?" Genesis, seemingly ignoring Zack's words.

"Yeah. She has a sixteen year old son from a previous marriage," said Zack. "Though I was hoping that she wanted to have my kids too."

"She doesn't want more kids?" Genesis prompted.

"I think we may have broken up," muttered Zack. He scowled to himself. This was the type of stuff he should've been dumping on Seph, not on an ex-friend. But Seph had his own problems to deal with, especially with Aerith in the hospital and his kid hating him and all. He looked up when the little girl walked over to pat him on the cheek, still sipping on her bottle. He smiled at her, and she returned it. That smile was familiar though, and when he looked at Genesis, he found similarities that he hadn't seen before, like the shape of her blue eyes, and how her hair had a slight hint of red, making it almost—but not quite—a strawberry blonde.

Genesis looked like he wanted to say something else to him, but then the lab technician walked over to them with an envelope in his hands. "The results are not opened for security reasons and have a 99.999 percent accuracy rate," he said seriously. "If you have any doubts about the test, or are not convinced, just ask the person at the desk to allow you to speak with our director, but our results are guaranteed to be accurate."

"Thank you," said Zack, moving to Genesis and where he had picked up the little girl. "You want to open them here or go somewhere else?" he asked, trying not the let the anxiousness get to him.

"I think we both want that result at this moment," said Genesis.

Zack nodded and opened the results, his eyes scanning quickly. He read it once, then twice, then once more for good measure. He handed it over to Genesis and let a relieved smile grace his features. "She isn't my kid," he said with relief.

Genesis nodded and smiled as well. "That is good news for the both of us," he said honestly, turning to look at his daughter proudly. "Mother wasn't able to get away with what she had planned," he said to the child. "We'll just have to tell her that we're very angry that she tried to use you in some type of twisted plan."

"What are you going to do?" Zack asked with a frown.

"I thought we weren't friends anymore," said Genesis with a smirk.

"You're right," said Zack dryly. "You don't mind if I get a copy of that, do you?"

Genesis shook his head and waited for Zack to get the copy from the receptionist. He would need the original results for shoving Scarlet out of Deidre's life. A child didn't need a materialistic mother who only cared about spending money, and his daughter would be better off without her mother. When Zack returned and handed over the original result, he offered his hand. "I won't ever interfere in your life unless I have to, but I suppose we won't see each other again."

Zack nodded and took the offered hand. "Best of luck with your kid and her mother." They nodded at each other in understanding and then went their separate ways. Zack let out another sigh of relief and was glad that Scarlet would no longer be a problem in his life. All he had to do now was find a way of fixing things with Tifa, he didn't want her to walk out of his life, but he was afraid that she would give her ex the green light because he had been too stubborn to trust her. Geez, why was he such a fool sometimes?

………………

"Feeling any better now?" asked Vincent as he and Cloud sat at a bar.

"Not really," said Cloud with a faint smirk. "But that's okay. My way of dealing with this type of misery is by drinking. Though I'm not sure you should be joining me."

"Oh, I have misery of my own," Vincent said, staring into the glass full of vodka. "I don't think I love my wife as much as I love Yuffie. Lucrecia knows something is going on, but I don't have the courage to break her heart."

"What about the kid? Hasn't she grown attached to you too? I know from experience that if you leave her mother for another woman, she will hate you for the rest of her life," said Cloud, watching as a few other people entered the bar.

"Laura knows I'm not her father. I convinced Lucrecia of telling her the truth as soon as she was capable of understanding. Since then, she's considered me her father, but we don't have that connection that I feel with Oren, even when he's mad at me. It's just… Yuffie wont let me come near her while I'm married, but _if _I file for a divorce and go through with it, there's no guarantee that she'll forgive me for leaving her all those years ago," said Vincent with a heavy sigh.

Cloud nodded in understanding. It was either take a risk and be happy, or stay with what was safe and be unhappy. It was a lose-lose situation either way. "I know it's gonna sound corny, but go with what you feel. If you don't get a divorce, Yuffie won't give you a chance. Once you're free of your marriage vows, you'll be free to convince her that you want to be with her, and you'll be able to use any tactics and weapons at your disposal."

Vincent could tell that the alcohol was getting to the other man, since he was starting to ramble a little. He just nodded and thought over what Cloud had said to him. If he really wanted to be with Yuffie, then he had to do something about it. He just couldn't sit around and twiddle his fingers. "Maybe we should go," he said to Cloud.

"I think you're right. Tomorrow is a school day, and I promised my students a test," said Cloud as they stood, heading for the door. He swayed slightly and almost ran into a man who was walking in. He cleared his throat when he recognized who he was, and exactly what look the man had on his face. "I take it from your glare that you were stupid enough to not believe Tifa?"

Zack scowled as he and Sephiroth had been trying to get into the bar. It was obvious the other man was drunk, so Zack decided to just ignore him. "Go home, Strife."

"You're a fucking idiot," said Cloud, ignoring Vincent when he tried to push him out the door. "You have this wonderful woman in your life, and you're screwing things up by not trusting her. You don't deserve her."

"Neither do you," Zack snarled, lunging forward. His hands would've closed around the blond man's neck had Sephiroth not stopped him.

"It's too bad that she doesn't want me, then. I'll be honest with you now, while I have some alcohol in me," said Cloud with a smirk. "I tried to get her to be with me again, even when I knew that she was with you, but she shot me down every… single… time. She even slapped me a few times too, and I admit that I deserved it. But _she_ deserves happiness, and now I can see that you're the only man to give it to her. Even if you don't deserve her either. She's amazing, and I hope you get to see that," he said before he let Vincent push him out the door.

Zack watched him go with a frown and then turned to Sephiroth. The taller man shrugged. "I think he's right. He was drunk enough to not be able to really lie," said his friend.

"You think I was an asshole to her then?" asked Zack.

"Among other things," said Sephiroth with a small smirk. "But you still have time to make it up to her. Just let things cool down a little between the two of you, and then grovel at her feet."

Zack ran a hand over his face and sighed heavily. "She was right. I hurt her because I didn't trust her. I'm such a damned idiot." They ordered their drinks and sat a more private booth. "What if she doesn't want to forgive me?"

"Find a way to make her see that you regret what you said to her," Sephiroth stated.

"Yeah, thanks Seph, you're so much help," muttered Zack. "Maybe I should just ask her to marry me."

Sephiroth looked at him with a raised brow. "Why not?"

Zack looked at him suspiciously and found that he had no answer to that question. He did want to marry Tifa because he loved her the way he had never thought he would love anyone. But were they too new at their relationship that it was too soon? What if she said no? What if she told him to go to hell? What if…?

"You can't think about the 'what ifs'," Sephiroth said quietly. "You either want to or you don't."

Zack nodded and was struck at how well his friend knew him. He just wished he had Tifa at his side right now. It hurt to be apart from her, knowing what he knew now about her ex-husband. He had been right about him, but wrong about her. She had proved that she would never betray him, but he had been a jerk to her by not trusting her. He had been a fool to say the things he had, but he would find a way to make it up to her. He wasn't going to lose Tifa, and he had never been one to give up what he set his mind to.

…

…

…

…

…

…

Who else wanted to smack Zack? I raise my hand too, but at least he saw that he was wrong. Now all he has to do is find a way to get Tifa to forgive him, and Tifa has to find a way to tell him about the baby. We had a little more drama in this chapter, but this was more of a filler. Now, about my question in the last chapter, you guys said that it'll be okay if he separates from Lucrecia first, right? I just want to get my facts straight and not get anyone mad later on. Still, I may change the course of Vince and Yuffie's story if I see that things won't work out the way I want them to.

I haven't yet started writing the next chapter, but I may start tomorrow, I just don't know when I'll update next. Hopefully it won't be too long from now, since my inspiration on this story is always high. Thanks to those who reviewed or commented on the last chapter, and welcome to the new readers too! I hope everyone has a great week!

Joey

P.S. Cookies for 2-Cold for being the 100th reviewer. Yay! And thanks to everyone else who made that possible. That's why you're all getting another update this quickly.


	13. Resolutions

………………………………

Okay, let me start this out by addressing something that has been going on these past few days. I was told by one person, that I had ripped this story from the story, _"Impressions." _Instead of arguing back and fourth with this person, I addressed the author of the story and we had our disagreements on various things, but I decided to give her credit for the **scenes** in this story that are remarkably like hers. I didn't steal from her on purpose, had I even realized it in the beginning, I would've asked for permission before using them, but I honestly didn't see that until someone pointed it out. Those scenes would have to be where Tifa gets hit on by a man, but she stays faithful to Zack, and when she gets hugged by Cloud and Zack walks in on them. I did read her fic long before I started to write this one, and while I was writing those scenes, I wasn't thinking, "Oh, yeah, this is how this author wrote hers in _Impressions. _I'm just going to change a few things around." No, that's just flat out stealing and that's **not** what I do. But maybe subconsciously I probably had her story in mind and I thought those ideas were mine, because honestly, that fic was great, and I **don't** want an all out brawl with this author's fans. So here and now I will give motchi credit for those scenes, and for my Zack being similar to her Zack. I _had _thought that I was writing him like he is in _Crisis Core_, but apparently I'm not, so this Zack credits motchi as well. I don't want drama and I don't want more arguments and I apologize publicly to her for all of this.

I will just ask people that if you have time, go read her story and then read mine. If you find anymore similarities, point them out to me so that I can give the credit to the author of _"Impressions."_ I'm tired of all the discussions and the insinuations that I'm stealing her work when I'm not and _none _of my words here have been said reluctantly or with attitude, I give credit to the people who deserve it. After reading this note, if you feel the need to insult me or my work, don't. It's best to keep those thoughts to yourself. But if you're going to point something out with proof and without having to resort to insults on me or my work, then go right ahead. So this will be the end of it. Thank you so much for taking the moment to read this note, and if you do me the favor of reading her story and then mine, thank you again.

………………………………

**Resolutions**

………………………………

Denzel stared. Cloud stared back. Tifa decided to leave them alone and walked off to her room. "Are you going to tell me what's on your mind anytime soon?" asked the teen.

Cloud nodded and sighed heavily. "I want to apologize to you too. I hurt your mother, and I hurt you too. I want to make things better. All that's going on with Aerith is making me see all that I have done wrong. You're my son, and I don't want you to be angry with me."

Denzel sighed. "I'm not angry." At his father's skeptical look, he shrugged. "Well, I _was _angry some time ago, but I'm not now. I just want my mom to be happy, and she's not. She broke up with Zack because of you."

Cloud winced at his words, not expecting to hear that. "It wasn't my intention to break them up, especially with a baby on the way. I _do _want your mother to be happy too."

"Why were you going to fight for my custody when you let my mother have it four years ago?" asked Denzel shrewdly.

"I was stupid enough to think that if I took you away, she would leave Zack. I'm not proud of the things I have done, Denzel. But I'm trying to make things right, and your mother has already forgiven me. The only person left is you," Cloud said softly.

"Are you going to forgive Aerith?" Denzel asked.

Cloud felt his eyes go a little frosty. "What goes on between Aerith and I is no one else's business."

"I'll take that as a 'no' then," Denzel muttered. "I guess I have to see if you're really trying to make things right. I'll need proof," he said with a smirk.

"How are things at school?" Cloud asked, letting a little bit of weight lift from his shoulders. "How are things with Marlene?"

Denzel couldn't help the grin on his face at the mention of his girlfriend. "She's great. We're both great. But… she wants me to meet her dad soon. We've only been dating a few months, but her dad wants to meet me, and I'm a little freaked out. Zack told me once that he's a big man."

Cloud smirked and remembered facing Tifa's father when they had found out that she was expecting Denzel. "Just be yourself when the time comes. Don't make any stupid jokes or try to impress him. Trust me, that stuff always backfires and you're left looking like an ass," he said to his son.

Tifa chose that moment to return to the living room and walked in on the end of the conversation. "Or don't do what Cloud did. He barely even talked when he met my father. He was a total doormat for everything my dad had to say, and I didn't think it was right. But dad always was a stubborn man," she said with a fond smile.

Denzel sighed. "I don't know when it's going to happen though. I mean, Marlene has told me that she wants us to go to dinner with him, but we haven't made any plans yet."

Cloud nodded and stood, patting his son's shoulder before walking towards the door. "Well, I wish you the best of luck with that meeting. First impressions are always the most important, so be polite and be yourself."

Tifa picked up the puppy, as he nipped at her pant leg and smiled as she walked with Cloud to his car. "Did you two make up?" she asked.

Cloud shrugged. "I don't know yet. I think we're on common ground now, so that's a good thing, but there's so much that I need to make up for." They were silent for a long moment and he watched Tifa as she scratched the puppy behind the ears. "Denzel told me that you and Fair broke up."

She nodded and tried to smile, but it lacked her usual cheerfulness. "We had some disagreements and decided it was best to go our separate ways. I don't know if we can fix something that was never there."

"What was that?" asked Cloud.

"Trust," said Tifa simply.

Cloud nodded and rubbed a thumb over her cheek. "I saw him at a bar a few days ago. He looked pretty pathetic, though I was kinda drunk."

"Again?" Tifa asked in exasperation. "I don't want you turning into an alcoholic, Cloud. That is not the example that our son needs right now. Get your ass in gear, or I will be forced to take matters into my own hands," she said seriously. At her next words, her eyes softened. "Besides, you told me that you would do everything to ensure that I have a peaceful pregnancy. Worrying about you becoming an alcoholic isn't exactly accomplishing that."

Cloud managed a smile and nodded. "Fine, I'll stop drinking."

"And if you get the urge to drink, just come over and take Denzel out to catch a movie, or to get something to eat. I'll even bake you some cookies, or a cake," she said, a slight plea in her voice.

He nodded again and wrapped her in his arms. "Okay, Teef. Okay."

"Promise," she whispered against his shoulder, ignoring the protesting pup between them.

"I promise," he murmured, kissing her temple before pulling back. "Take care of yourself," said Cloud, getting into his car.

Tifa watched him until his car was a far off speck down the street. Then she walked back into the house and placed Bug out in the backyard so that he could play for a little bit. She let out a sigh and wrinkled her nose when the scent of the washing detergent made something in her stomach roil. "This is ridiculous," she muttered to herself. The smell of the detergent they had been using for years was making her nauseous?

With Denzel she had had a fairly pleasant pregnancy, with only a few smells that had bothered her. But with this one, she had found that she couldn't take the smell of garlic, any type of seafood, and celery. Now she could add the detergent to her ever growing list, and she was sure that she wasn't even a month into the pregnancy yet, if her calculations were correct. It was obvious that Zack was the father of the baby, since he refused to even go close to any type of seafood as well—something about having a traumatic experience with a lobster when he had been a little boy. Tifa smirked to herself and tried to keep the sadness at bay. Any and every thought having to do with Zack made her sad and she couldn't help herself. All she wanted was to be happy, with him, but it seemed like life didn't want her to be happy just yet. She would hang in there though, she had been doing it since Cloud had left with Aerith, and she would keep doing it for the sake of her son and her unborn baby, no matter what life had in store for her still.

…………

Oren narrowed his eyes as he watched his mother. She looked depressed and there was nothing he could do about it. He had offered to cheer her up by baking her a cake—which often came out better than any of hers—but she had just shook her head and offered him a small smile. He remembered seeing that look on her face when he had been little, and all those times had usually involved her looking at a picture of his father. Now there was no picture, but the sadness was there, and he recognized it for what it was. She was heartbroken again, and again it was because of his father. He seriously needed to get his father away from his mother. So when the doorbell rang, and Oren greeted Vincent, he saw his mother turn away and hide that glassy shine in her eyes that signified tears, he knew what to do. Vincent looked at Yuffie as she resumed shining her shuriken—her weapon of choice when she had been trained by the best ninjas in her country.

"Hello, Yuffie," said Vincent.

"Vincent," she said, not turning to look at him or to acknowledge him any further.

Oren saw the frown on his father's face and knew he was about to say more, but he beat him to it. "I wanted to talk to you about something," he said seriously. At Vincent's questioning look, he continued, hoping that his mother didn't get angry at him. "I'm over the anger I felt when I saw you kiss my mother, but there's new anger now."

"Why?" asked Vincent.

"Because you make my mother sad. I know that it's not your intention, but the fact of the matter is that you're screwing up her life again," he said seriously.

"Oren," Yuffie began, turning to look at her son. She appreciated him defending her, but she was capable of defending herself.

"No, mom. All I want is for you to be happy again, and with him constantly in your life, it won't happen," Oren stated firmly. He turned the eyes he had inherited from his father and looked at the man. "I promise to forget all that has happened and put as much as I can into getting to know you, just as long as you leave my mother alone. Don't speak to her and don't come into this house unless you really have to. If you'd like, I can go to your house, or meet you some place else, but it's best that you keep contact with my mom to a minimum."

Vincent didn't know what to say to his son at the moment. He looked at Yuffie, but she refused to meet his eyes. But then Oren's voice stopped his thoughts. "It's either me, or my mom," the teen said softly. "But you have to make a choice."

Again, Vincent was struck speechless. He couldn't believe his own son was making him do this, and Yuffie wasn't stopping him. He had no choice but to accept what his son was saying. Maybe later on, once he had separated from Lucrecia, he would be able to make the boy see that he loved his mother just as much as he loved him. "Fine," he murmured. "I will stay away from your mother."

Oren nodded. "I didn't want to be the bad guy here, but my mom matters to me and I don't want to see that look of sadness on her face ever again," he muttered. There was a tense silence between all three, and he cleared his throat. "We should go then," he said to Vincent.

Vincent nodded once and turned to Yuffie, realizing that maybe this would probably be the last time he saw her in a long time, if he did as his son had asked. "Goodbye, Yuffie," he said softly.

Yuffie looked at him then, eyes sad. She nodded once. "Goodbye, Vincent," she said, watching him until he was out the door.

Oren turned to look at her and gave her a sorrow filled look. "I'm sorry mom, but I just can't see you be hurt again. He's married, and you're a good person," he said before he followed his father. Yuffie let out a deep breath and went back to shining her weapon, using more force than was necessary, but using it as a way to keep the tears at bay. She needed to be strong for her son. She _needed _to be strong for herself. All she had to do was find a way of being strong as her heart died little by little.

…………

Denzel vaguely wondered if he should've worn a tie to dinner. He had gone for a pair of dark gray slacks and a dark blue dress shirt that brought out his eyes. Marlene had told him that he looked fine, handsome even, but he wasn't too convinced that he was dressed right for the occasion. They were going to have dinner with his mother and… Marlene's father. He swallowed hard and took a sip of his ice water to calm his nerves. In his personal opinion, this dinner had been planned too soon and he _was _more than a little freaked out. It wasn't like he was going to ask for Marlene's hand in marriage, he was just meeting her adoptive father. They were at a fairly fancy restaurant, sitting at a four person table that was located by the windows overlooking the city. Edge wasn't as impressive as Junon, and even less than Costa del Sol, but it had its charms. Denzel just couldn't think of any at the moment.

Tifa watched her son with a smile and was happy that the morning sickness was only reserved for the morning. She still had issues with some types of foods, but nothing that wouldn't eventually fade. She started when the maître d' walked over with a _very _big, dark man. She blinked and noticed that Marlene was smiling and had stood up to greet the man. He was very tall and broad shouldered, and Tifa could see Denzel pale at the sight of him. Tifa just couldn't believe that such a big man could've taken care of a tiny girl like Marlene by himself. She smiled and stood too when the man turned to her. "Hello, I'm Tifa Lockhart, Denzel's mother. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said brightly.

"Hello, there, Miss," he said in a loud voice. "I'm Barret Wallace, my baby girl's father. It's a pleasure to meet ya too." They shook hands and Barret turned to look at the scrawny kid who had probably placed his hands on Marlene more than once now. He knew he must've looked intimidating, but putting some fear into the little runt would serve as a great way for him to keep his hands off of his little girl. "You must be Denzel. I've heard quite a bit about you."

Denzel nodded quickly. "Yes, sir. I've heard a lot about you too. Marlene tells me you've been a great father."

Barret's eyes softened as he turned to his daughter, but turned steely when he looked back at the teenage boy. "Let's have a seat and get to dinner. I'm starvin'," he said with a grin.

Marlene looked at Denzel and gave him a reassuring smile trying to tell him that he had passed the first test and that her father liked him. All he had to do now was survive the rest of the meal. "How have you been feeling, Tifa?" Marlene asked her.

Tifa smiled. "I've been good, thank you," she said with a smile.

"Daddy, do you remember the lady that uncle Zack was head over heels for and still is?" Marlene asked with a smile. When her father nodded, she motioned to Tifa. "She's the one."

Barret looked at her with wide eyes. "Really? I knew ya had to be something else to have someone like Zack drooling after ya. I must say that he didn't to ya justice. You're even more beautiful than he described ya," he said with a grin.

"Oh, thank you. You flatter me," she replied with a small blush.

While Barret and Tifa talked with each other after ordering their meals, Marlene turned to Denzel and realized he hadn't said much for a long time. She smiled at him and took his hand under the table. They heard a throat clear, and both teens turned to Barret, who was giving them dark looks. That look settled completely on Denzel, and he swallowed hard.

"Tell me, Denzel. What are your intentions with my daughter?" asked Barret seriously.

"Wha-what?" Denzel stammered. _What?_ He looked at his mom for help, but she was trying not to laugh at him, he could see it on her face. "Um… sir, I respect Marlene deeply, but… but we're only getting to know each other right now," he said, looking at his girlfriend. She gave him a little grin and sobered when her father looked at her.

"Yes daddy. We really like each other, but we're not here to start preparing a shotgun wedding, so don't give Denny the third degree. He's my boyfriend, we like to spend time with each other, but that's it," Marlene said lightly.

"Honey," said Barret. "I just have to make sure that you're not gonna end up bringing home a baby at your age." He turned to Denzel. "You get my baby girl pregnant, you marry her. Am I clear?"

"Who's talking about sex here?" Denzel asked incredulously. "We just barely became a couple. We're not thinking of having sex, or making babies. We just like having fun with each other!" he exclaimed. The whole conversation was ludicrous. Yes, he was curious, but he didn't want to get into unnecessary trouble just yet.

"Barret," Tifa said, laughing lightly. "If we've done our jobs right, then there won't be a baby until after they graduate and get their butts in gear for a good career. I know I've raised a good son, and he won't disappoint me."

Barret looked at her and nodded. "You must understand that Marlene means the world to me. I'm just worried," he said.

"I understand," Tifa said, eyeing her son. "But we have to trust them to make the right decisions."

"You're right," said Barret quietly, turning to look at Denzel and Marlene again. "Fine. I accept ya as my daughter's boyfriend. But if ya ever make her cry—with all due respect to ya, Ms. Lockhart—I will make _you_ hurt, Denzel."

"I'd sooner cut off my own hand than hurt Marlene," said Denzel, smiling at Marlene.

Barret eyed them both and realized that some part of him knew that they would last. Sure, they would have their ups and downs, but they looked happy together, and he valued his baby girl's happiness above anything else, so he would support them. Besides, the boy's mother looked very pretty when she smiled, and he knew that she would make Zack very happy too. In all honesty, he liked the kid better than he had liked any other little pervert that had tried to get with his little girl. He looked polite, respectful, and as an added bonus, a beautiful mother. He thought of Elmyra, a woman he had been seeing for a few months now, and hoped that with this new distraction in Marlene's life, he would be able to introduce them to each other and not get too much drama in return. Marlene was very fierce when it came to defending him, but he really liked Elmyra.

Tifa nearly hummed in pleasure when her steak was placed in front of her, but she didn't want to give away that she had been craving that particular meat. Barret was a close friend of Zack's and she couldn't risk him finding out she was having a baby before Zack either. She smiled as she saw her son smile more openly now that the awkwardness of the introduction to Marlene's father was over and done with. She was happy that her son was happy. All he needed to do now was be good to her, and though she and Cloud had done many mistakes, she knew that her son would be smart enough to look past them and be better. They had raised a good son.

……

Tifa sneezed twice as she made it into the building with only a few drops sprinkling on her warm coat. Cold, rainy days always gave her allergies, but she hoped fervently that she wouldn't catch a cold, since it wouldn't be good for the baby or for her. The last few days she had been avoiding seeing Zack at all, and she had accomplished it, only catching a glimpse of him as he filled out some paperwork in the office. She had just picked up her roster and nearly ran out of the office. She didn't know if he had seen her or not.

During class, the faint feeling of morning sickness had her distracted and eating saltine crackers to see if she felt any better. It helped a little, but the nausea lasted until lunch. She ate in her classroom with Yuffie and they chatted about their trip once again. Tifa could tell that though Yuffie was basically going to yell at her father, she was excited to see her country once more. Her father had practically kicked her out—exiled, was how Yuffie put it—but she couldn't deny that she had missed Wutai deeply. It was her mother's country and she hadn't gone back in sixteen—nearly seventeen years, since before Oren had been born.

"Stomach still upset?" asked Yuffie as Tifa picked at her warm stew. Yuffie had been nice enough to cook them lunch and then warm up the food in the teacher's lounge for the both of them. Then she had brought the food to Tifa's classroom.

Tifa nodded. "It tastes great, Yuffie, but I've felt this way from the moment I woke up," she said with a sigh, going back to her crackers. "Did you… see Zack in the lounge?" she asked softly.

Yuffie nodded. "He looked around for you, but I left before he was able to ask me anything. I also saw Sephiroth; I guess he's back now from the leave he took."

"Yeah. Kadaj was in class today, he was actually a little more spirited. It wasn't much, but I've been watching that boy closely, and I could see it," she said with a small smile. "I think that even though he's still pretty hurt about the whole thing, having the knowledge that his mother is alive is helping him, even if it's very little."

"That's good. Poor kid. He deserves some happiness and if Aerith can give it to him, well that's absolutely great," said Yuffie before taking a sip from her bottled juice. She took a moment to look Tifa over and noticed the beginnings of bags under her eyes. "Have you been sleeping?" she asked seriously.

Tifa looked at Yuffie and shook her head, sighing heavily. "I try to get to sleep early, but I can't seem to get more hours. I think I'm sleeping even less than before I found out I was pregnant," she muttered. "I miss Zack. He would stay over with me on the weekends, but this past Saturday and Sunday, I slept alone and I missed him."

Yuffie gave her a sympathetic look before packing up her empty containers. "You want to get some fresh air? I think it stopped raining for a bit, and you can come with me to the restroom," she said, standing up.

"Alright," said Tifa, grabbing a couple of crackers, since it appeared to be the only food that would sit in her stomach. They walked over to the restroom first, and then walked outside for a few minutes. Most of the ground was still wet from the rain, and the clouds were still dark, letting everyone know that they would probably have a storm on their hands come nightfall.

"Hello, beautiful lassies!" exclaimed a Scottish voice from behind them. Tifa and Yuffie turned, frowns on their faces but didn't see anyone there. "Down here!"

Tifa looked at a small cat in bemusement. He wore boots, a crown, and what looked like a cape. He handed her and Yuffie a rose. "What are you?" she asked with a smile.

"A little project of mine," said another voice.

"Hi, Reeve!" Tifa said with a grin. "You made him?"

Reeve nodded and shook hands with Yuffie. "This is Cait Sith. He's just a little project that I work on over the weekends," he said with a smile.

Tifa admired the cat once more as he waved at her and then jumped onto Reeve's shoulder. "He's very impressive," she complimented.

"I know, lass. I am Reeve's creation, after all," said Cait.

Reeve looked sheepish. "I assure you, I didn't program him to say that. He's an advanced form of robot that I designed myself. He talks and has responses like a real person, and he can even think for himself," he said proudly.

"Wow," said Yuffie, shaking hands with the robotic cat. "Nice to meet you, Cait."

"I assure you, lassie, the pleasure is all mine," Cait replied.

"How have you both been?" Reeve asked, though Yuffie had the feeling that he was referring to Tifa and probably wanted to be alone with her.

Well, Yuffie thought, Tifa was broken up with her man, there was no reason why she couldn't make more _guy _friends. "Hey, Teef, I'm going to head back to my class. I have some assignments to finish grading for today. I'll see you after school?"

Tifa nodded and gave her a suspicious look. "Remember that I have my appointment, so we have to be out of here before four-thirty."

"Okay. Call me to make sure I remember," said Yuffie before waving and walking off.

"I'll walk you to your classroom if you'd like," said Reeve.

Tifa looked at her watch. "Not yet. We can walk for a little here. So… how are your students treating you?" she asked with a smile.

"They're actually good. I thought they wouldn't listen to me, since I heard what a wonderful teacher Mrs. Strife was. How is she doing?" Reeve asked, allowing Cait to jump off his shoulder and to walk ahead of them.

"She's better. Thank you for asking. But I don't know when she will be returning. I haven't spoken to her in a few days, but I think she was going to be released from the hospital this week," Tifa replied. She grimaced as her stomach protested again and took a bite out of a cracker.

"Are you okay?" Reeve asked her.

Tifa nodded and offered him a small smile. "I'm just a little sick in the stomach," she said. She liked Reeve, but she didn't know him well enough to tell him that she was having a baby. She didn't need the whole school to find out before she told Zack. "I think I should head back to my class."

Reeve nodded. "Do you mind if I walk you to your class?" Tifa shook her head and they got to know each other a little better in those short minutes. She found out about his passion for inventions and that he had thought up Cait Sith's invention from the age of ten, but had just recently built the first model. He also enjoyed science and was an all around nerd. Tifa didn't mind, he was sweet and funny, and she wouldn't mind having a friend like him at the moment. "Well," he started, smiling at the picture she made with her long hair wind swept and the pink on her cheeks. "It's been a pleasure spending time with you."

"Likewise," Tifa replied as they rounded the corner and moved down the hallway where her class was. She blinked and realized that down the hall, Zack was coming their way. She let out a sigh; she wasn't really in the mood to deal with his jealousy and he would probably have something to say about Reeve. "I'll see you around Reeve," she said brightly.

Reeve nodded and took that as his cue to leave. "Maybe one of these days we can share lunch and talk a little more?" he offered.

Tifa bit her lip. "I'll consider it, Reeve. Thank you for walking me to my class." He nodded and turned to walk the opposite way, a smile at his lips. The brunette turned to look back at Zack as he approached her and wished she could've ran off to her classroom and locked herself in before he approached. But she wasn't really in the running mood, and besides, her stomach was churning even more. She didn't know if it was the morning sickness or just the fact that she had missed Zack so very much.

Zack approached her and swallowed hard. She looked tired and a little pale, and he wondered if she had spent sleepless nights just like he had. He just wanted to hold her, but he knew that before he could do that, he had to apologize for the way he had treated her. "How are you?" he asked softly.

"I'm okay," she said with a one-shoulder shrug. "You?"

"I feel like hell," he muttered. "I've missed you," he admitted softly.

Tifa felt her heart skip a beat as she stared into his shining blue eyes. She still very much loved his eyes, and she hoped that their baby would have them. She let out a breath and looked away from him. "I won't take the blame for all the things you yelled at me."

"I don't expect you to, and I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm sorry for everything, but I was right Tifa. Strife himself admitted that he tried to get you back, even when we were already together," Zack said.

"Well, did he tell you that I didn't ever accept him?" she asked dryly.

Zack nodded. "Yes. That's why I'm here, begging for your forgiveness. I was an idiot, for saying all of those things to you. It's just that… I was betrayed by two people who at one point meant a lot to me. Genesis was a very close friend and he ran off with my wife. Scarlet—I may not have loved her the way I do you—but she was my wife, and she left with my friend. I'm not saying that you would do the same to me, but I'm trying to explain why it's so hard for me to trust."

Tifa nodded in understanding. She understood what he was saying, but… she had her own issues with trust. "I guess we both have something to work on. I understand what you're saying, but Zack, I have my own problems with trust, and you knew that. Your words and your reaction to all off this made me lose some trust in _you_."

"I realize that, and I'm sorry for that too. But Tifa, I don't want to be away from you any longer. I just… I need you in my life and have no idea how much," he murmured, cupping her cheek with one hand.

She nodded and placed her hand over his. "I just… I think that for now, some space would be good for the both of us. We need to think about our issues and resolve them on our own. Zack… I want to trust you fully, but I need a little time and so do you. I want you to think of whether you want to be serious with me because if I give you one more chance, it will be the last one," Tifa said seriously, keeping his hand in hers as she pulled it away from her face.

He couldn't object to what she was saying because he understood, but that didn't mean that it didn't hurt. He supposed that giving each other a little bit more space wouldn't be so bad. What were a few more sleepless nights, right? Zack nodded and offered her a wan smile. Then he remembered something that would probably cheer her up a little. "Genesis and I got the DNA test done a few days ago. It turns out I'm not the father. Which is great because I'm seriously considering you for the mother of my first kid," he said with a more cheerful grin.

To kick the point even further across, her stomach roiled again. Well, there was a baby already on the way, but she couldn't tell him now. He wouldn't take the space she was offering, and Tifa knew that they both needed it. She didn't want to rush into more with Zack before she was certain that he would trust her completely and vice versa. She managed a happy smile, because it was a relief that he wouldn't be tied to another woman for the next eighteen or so years. Subconsciously, she moved forward and wrapped her arms around him in congratulations.

Zack let out a sigh and returned her embrace, relishing in the feel of her in arms again. He really had missed her. Tifa tried to pull back, but he wouldn't let her go. She let out a small laugh. "I have to get to class, Zack."

"I know, but I haven't held you in almost a week. Let me have this moment," he muttered, burying his face in her sweet smelling hair.

Tifa wrapped her arms around him again and let out a long, contented sigh. But their moment was cut short when the bell rang, and they reluctantly pulled away when students began to fill the hallway. "I'll see you around, then?"

Zack nodded and started to move away slowly. "How long does this break have to be?" he asked, walking backwards. Thankfully, the students could see him even though he couldn't see them, so they gave him room to walk.

She smiled slightly and shook her head. "As long as it takes for us to be sure of what we want."

_But I already know what I want_, Zack thought to himself. Instead he just nodded again and took her in once more. With her eyes ever present in his mind, he blew her a small kiss and walked away.

………

Yuffie sighed boredly as she flipped through a gardening magazine while she waited for Tifa's appointment to be over. She was seeing her OB doctor, and Yuffie had sat that one out because of the first time exams that were involved. She loved Tifa to death, but she wouldn't be present while Tifa's more private bits were examined to determine her exact time of gestation and her due date. They had already been in the room for nearly thirty minutes, and Yuffie was already dying of boredom. She had always hated hospitals because they gave her nothing exciting to do. That was, until she saw the doctor who exited the elevators, accompanied by another doctor.

Yuffie watched Lucrecia curiously as she spoke animatedly with the man, smiling and looking carefree. The ninja was intrigued when she saw that the man—who was not very attractive, by the way—placed a hand on the small of Lucrecia's back and looked around to see if anyone was looking. Yuffie hid behind her boring magazine and blinked over the edge to see the man lead Lucrecia into a supply closet. Yuffie nearly fell out of her chair as she watched them go, incredulous and absolutely indignant on Vincent's behalf. She was cheating on him with that… that thing? Ugh!

She tried not to jump to any farfetched conclusions, but she sat there and waited for Vincent's wife to come out of the closet with the man she had gone in there with. Even Tifa walked out of her appointment before the couple. "What's going on?" Tifa asked, looking at her best friend strangely. Yuffie was straining and trying to look inconspicuous as the same time.

Yuffie stood up and pointed to the supply closet. "I just saw Vincent's wife go in there with another man," she muttered darkly.

Tifa looked at her with a raised brow. "…And?"

The shorter woman gave her a look that asked her if she was dense. "Teef, what else would they do in a supply closet? Alone? While no one else is watching them?"

Tifa caught on quickly. "They could be looking for some supplies together," she offered with a shrug.

Yuffie looked disgusted, but she hugged Tifa and patted her on the head. "You've been so sheltered about many things in life," she said sympathetically. "Teef, haven't you ever seen those medical drama shows? Supply closets are only used for one other thing, and it's for holding the supplies," said Yuffie smartly.

"You think they're in there having sex? That's just unsanitary," said Tifa, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "Don't you want to know how my appointment went?"

"Sure," Yuffie said with a grin, though their conversation was so not over.

"Well, I'm just about three weeks, and we're only a few days away from the whole month. Everything is normal, but I won't know how big and the weight until I get an ultrasound done, and that's an all separate thing. I'll have to wait for two more months before I can get the ultrasound," she said happily.

"Aww, congrats Teef," Yuffie said happily. She couldn't wait until Tifa had the baby. She had always loved infants and realized that they needed a baby to spoil in their lives. Her eyes narrowed and she went back to her suspicions.

Tifa noticed Yuffie's narrowed eyes and scoffed. "You aren't still thinking that they're being stupid enough to have sex on the maternity floor, are you?"

"Teef, they _have_ been in there for nearly twenty minutes. How hard can it be to find a bedpan or some latex gloves?" Yuffie asked her as they began to walk towards the elevators, which were a few feet away from the closet. Both women started when they heard a giggle and the door suddenly opened, allowed a slightly disheveled Lucrecia to walk out and a haughty man ready to follow. The woman froze when she spotted Tifa and Yuffie standing there. Her mouth opened to say something, but nothing would leave her mouth. Yuffie smirked when she saw the doctor pale. "Hello, doctor," she said smugly. "Was that your idea of fighting for Vincent?" Yuffie couldn't contain her giddiness, but she did feel sorry for any pain this would bring Vincent. She wasn't nearly as mad as him as she had been when he had returned to their lives.

"This is not what it looks like!" Lucrecia exclaimed quickly.

"I'm sure it isn't," Yuffie replied snidely. "And I suppose that this man had nothing to do with your top being buttoned up the wrong way, or that mark on your neck?"

Lucrecia slapped a hand over the exact spot and shook her head. "You can't blame me. He's cheating on me with you, isn't he? I have a right to return the damage done to me," she said angrily.

Yuffie shook her head in disgust. "Fool," she spat. "Vincent and I have done nothing. He hasn't cheated on you and he never will. It just goes to show how much you know him." She just didn't point out that he had been more than willing. "If you don't tell him about this, I will," she said before she and Tifa stepped into the elevator and walked away from the other woman.

"You're really going to tell Vincent that you saw his wife cheating on him?" Tifa asked her.

Yuffie sighed. "I don't know Teef. I really don't know."

………

Yuffie took in the familiar scents of what had once been her home. She hadn't realized she had missed it this much until her nose took in all she had come to be familiar with when she had been a child. Wutai was a beautiful country, and she wasn't just saying that. It was filled with majestic mountains, wild plant life and trees, and it's culturally different people. She liked living in Edge, but there was no comparing it to her country. They would spend a few days in a hotel at the coast, and then they would travel to the heart of the country, where her father resided.

Tifa, Denzel, and Oren were checked into their rooms—the teens would share one—and she had left her pregnant friend to get some rest, since she had been queasy on the boat ride over. She was standing on the small terrace of her room, overlooking the beach and the setting sun. Spring break had barely started two days before, and school had ended for them all. She hadn't told Vincent that she had seen his wife with another man, and she had no idea if Lucrecia had told him herself. Tifa had her own problems, since she was nearly two months into the pregnancy and she had yet to tell Zack. It seemed like their problems were never ending. Now she had to add the pending conversation with her father to that list, and she was tired. She wanted all the heartache to end.

There was a knock at her door and she walked into her room, feeling her heart warm at the Wutain touch it had. It reminded her of the room that had once been hers at the Pagoda. She opened the door and came face to face with… "Vincent," she murmured. "What are you doing here?"

Vincent gave her a searching look. "Lucrecia told me about the man she was with. She is convinced that I am cheating on her with you," he said.

"And you came all this way to tell me that?" she asked with a small smirk.

He offered a tentative smile and shook his head. "I came here to tell you that I love you and that I left Lucrecia yesterday. I don't want to be with her. I _want _to be with you," he said seriously. "I can't stay away, no matter how hard I try."

Yuffie let out a long breath and accepted his words. She moved forward and kissed him, pulling him inside of her room and shutting the door. She didn't know if she was making the right decision, but she did know that she wanted the hurt to stop.

…

…

…

…

…

…

Hehehe, how was that for an ending? I'll leave you guys wondering about what's going to happen and I can't give anything away. All I can say is that there's going to be more drama in the next chapter. How was my attempt at Cait Sith and Barret? I don't usually write them, so I don't know if I butchered their characters too much. Sorry! Anyway, despite all the negativity going on, I _will _continue this story until the end because I love it, and those of you who respond in a positive matter spur me on. Thank you so much for all your positive reviews, so keep them coming. Oh, and speaking of taking ideas from other people, I want to credit Vampyric Ninja for giving me the idea of Lucrecia cheating on Vincent with the belief that he had cheated on her first. Thanks VN that part was for you! I hope everyone has a great weekend and I hope to have another chapter ready soon!

Joey


	14. Making Up

………………………………

Hey, hey! How is everyone doing today? I hope well. Let me start out by thanking you all for all the positive feedback in the last chapter. Now, let me move on and state that the problem is over. Motchi and I are at peace, so I'm going to ask you all to let it go. I never posted my last note to cause any problems, but things don't always go the way you want them, so let's just leave it behind us and continue the story.

Now, before you go on to the chapter, I just want to address the flamers. This will be the last time I do. If you feel the need to insult me in your comments, _don't_, and you know who you are. Not everyone who didn't have a positive comment regarding this situation insulted me, so I want to thank those of you who at least were polite about it. If I can, I _will_ delete the comments in which I'm being insulted. I take criticism and feedback regarding my grammar or spelling, or whatever else, but when you feel the need to insult me, I fight back. If you're gonna point out that my story is a total waste of time, why read it in the first place? Turn around and leave, and find a better story. If you put me on blast, well, that only shows how _brainless _you are. From now on, I won't answer anymore flames. Just, think before you talk crap to other people, not everyone will let it go. Do you honestly think that calling me names like brainless and kiss-ass is constructive criticism? No. So just keep your comments to yourself. I remember someone telling me that I should have thicker skin in a comment, but if I didn't, then I wouldn't let it go and this is my final word to any flamer. It will take more than your trash talk to bring me down and none of you have a right to insult me or my writing. If you can do better, then you're welcome to. But this is the end of it.

Again, thanks for listening to my ramblings and I hope everyone enjoys.

………………………………

**Making Up**

………………………………

Before she actually knew what was going on, Vincent had backed her up against the closed door, his hands touching places he hadn't touched for nearly seventeen years. He traced the line of her waist, and the curve of her hips, trying to touch her all at once but not being able to. Yuffie clung to him, her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. She loved him and had missed him more than anything, but she didn't know if she was making the right decisions. Was she rushing into things again? Was she making a mistake by accepting him so easily? Was she now on the bed instead of pressed against the door?!

"W-wait!" she said breathlessly, his hands already sliding under her top. "Stop, Vincent," she said again.

Vincent propped himself on his elbows and looked at her, cheeks flushed a little, and his hair in disarray. "What's wrong?" he asked in confusion.

"We're moving too fast," she murmured, rubbing a hand across her face. "I mean, she may have cheated on you first, but you're still married to her. If we do this now, she'll be right, and you'll stoop to her level."

Vincent removed himself from atop of her and sat back against the headboard. "That doesn't mean that I don't want to be with you," he murmured. "It's been more than sixteen years."

Yuffie sat up and managed a small smile. She was still shaking with need for him. "Don't think I don't feel it too, but we can't. I know that you may not see it now, but you will," she said, leaning forward to brush her lips against his in a small kiss.

He eyed her for a long moment, taking in her eyes, her face, her hair. This had been the woman he had wanted to marry since he had been in high school. Then something else occurred to him. "How do you think Oren will take it?"

Yuffie swallowed hard. "I honestly don't know. He has great respect for promises and vows, and I think he'll be the type of man to marry for the rest of his life. I don't know how he'll feel about you leaving your wife for me."

"But I'm his father," Vincent murmured.

"But he still hasn't gotten over the fact that you left all of these years, despite the fact that you didn't know about him," said Yuffie, moving over to sit at the edge of the bed, allowing Vincent to see her profile only. "Vincent," she started quietly. "Are you sure that you want to leave Lucrecia for me?"

"Of course I do. I've wanted to leave her for some time now, but she hadn't given me the reason to. Now she has. Why do you ask? Do you not trust me?" he murmured.

Yuffie shrugged one shoulder. "It's ten years of your life down the drain, even when she cheated first physically. If I remember correctly, you were more than willing to cheat on her first," she said, looking at him seriously.

"Now that you mention that… I want to apologize for my behavior from the moment we saw each other again," said Vincent. "And… for leaving you in the first place."

She gave him a faint smile. "Apology accepted." She was serious for a moment, thinking about how he would take what she said next. "Vince, I don't think it would be wise for us to go past anything but kissing." Vincent looked at her in surprise. "What?" Yuffie asked.

"You called me Vince again," he said, taking her hand in his and kissing her knuckles. "You have no idea how long I have wanted to hear you refer to me that way again. It always made me feel better when I heard your voice calling me that. But… I guess you're right about our intimacy. I want to do things right with you this time," he said, scooting over to her and wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.

"It just won't feel right if I start to sleep with you while you're still married to that woman. The divorce will be at your favor if you don't cheat too," she murmured, laying her head against his chest.

"I don't care for the money or the house. We earned it all together, but she can keep it all if she wants it. Look, there's something that I want you to have. Something that you should've had for more than sixteen years now," Vincent said, reaching into his pocket. He produced a small, black velvet box and handed it over to her. "It goes without saying that I want you to marry me, but when the time comes, I will get you a better ring. But this, this always brought me good and sad memories and I think you should have it. It's rightfully yours."

Yuffie opened the box slowly and smiled. Inside, there was a small diamond ring on a simple silver band. She removed it and tried it on, finding that though it was only a little tight, it still fight her ring finger on her right hand. She wouldn't wear any other ring on her left hand until it was the engagement ring Vincent had promised. "It's beautiful," she said softly.

Vincent chuckled lightly. "No it's not. It's not very glamorous, but I bought it with my savings back when we were barely seventeen. This is what I was going to ask you to marry me with," he admitted.

Yuffie looked at him and pressed another kiss to his lips. "I would've said yes even if you hadn't had a ring," she said after pulling away, her eyes a little glassy. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, relishing in the scent of his hair and the feel of his body as he hugged her right back. "Living without you all these years was hell, but there's still one last thing we have to do before we can let this all go."

"Do you really want to confront your father now? After all these years?" he asked.

She nodded and pulled back to look him in the eye. "It's his fault my son grew up without his father. And to make matters worse, Godo never had the guts to tell me what he had done to my face before he kicked me out of Wutai," she said darkly. "He and I have many things to talk about, but I want you to be there with me."

Vincent nodded once. "Anything you need. My life is yours to take now."

Yuffie let out a small laugh and looked at her ring again. "You haven't changed, have you?" she asked, feeling a big weight lift off her shoulders. He pulled her to him again and lay back on the bed with him spooning her. Despite feeling her heart soar at the feel of Vincent's arms around her once again, she couldn't help but feel guilty about Lucrecia. Yuffie could imagine what she was feeling, and it made her feel bad that she had destroyed her marriage, even if it had been indirectly. Lucrecia _had_ cheated first, but with the belief that Vincent had done the same already. Maybe… she shouldn't have felt so bad for a woman who really hadn't known the man she had been married to for ten years. Either way, Yuffie would accept her guilt as long as the other woman did the same.

……………

Tifa and Yuffie took in the wonderful scents of their breakfast the morning after they had arrived in Wutai. They had decided to eat in Tifa's room, since at the moment, Yuffie's room was occupied by one Vincent Valentine, and they had both agreed that it wouldn't be wise to surprise Tifa so abruptly. "The fruit looks great," Tifa complimented as they sat at the small breakfast table.

Yuffie nodded. "The manager of the hotel was an old friend of mine that I knew years ago. She recognized me and we had a little talk yesterday. This breakfast isn't usually so packed with extras. She told me that all our room service breakfasts would by complimentary," she said as she took a sip of her coffee. She noticed the look on Tifa's face. "Aww, I remember what it was like to go cold turkey without coffee back when I was expecting Oren. Sorry, Teef, drink up your carrot-orange juice." She noticed the faint bags under Tifa's eyes. "Still not sleeping?"

Tifa shook her head and ate at her fruit. "Only a few hours, and I'm so tired. I thought that the change of air would help, but still no sleep. I feel like I've been sleep deprived for weeks and weeks," she muttered.

Yuffie thought about it for a moment and then let out a breath. "I spent the night with Vincent," she said abruptly. "He came over last night and—Tifa?"

The pregnant brunette put a hand over her mouth and ran into the bathroom. Yuffie decided to wait and give her privacy, but she couldn't help but feel disappointed that her friend had reacted this way. Was it so repulsive that she wanted to be with the man she had loved since she had been fifteen? "Tifa, I'm sorry. I don't want you to think less of me. What I meant was that he came over and we talked. I didn't let him touch me that way and we agreed that he would get his divorce first. Please don't be disgusted with me?"

There was a sound of flushing and then the water running before Tifa finally stepped out of the bathroom. She still looked faintly green. "Take the fruit away, will you please?"

Yuffie nodded and covered the plate with the lid that had been keeping it fresh. "Does that mean… that you're not disgusted with me?"

Tifa gave her an amused look that was half grimace. "Of course not. But we can add a few other foods to the list that make me nauseous. Come on kid," she said to her still flat stomach. "Fruit? I can't eat fruit either? Sorry to have freaked you out, Yuffs. I guess the morning sickness isn't going to be gone for another few weeks."

Yuffie smiled and sat at her breakfast once more. "For a moment I thought that _I_ had made you sick."

"Why didn't you sleep with him?" Tifa asked as she took her juice and sipped it. Mysteriously, her little devil baby didn't kick up a fuss and the nausea didn't hit her this time. She leaned back against her headboard and looked at Yuffie.

"It just didn't feel right," Yuffie admitted. "I mean, his wife may have cheated first, but I just didn't want Vincent to stoop to her level. If he loves me, he'll be able to wait until this is all over," she said to Tifa, who nodded in understanding.

"You forgave him for leaving already?"

Yuffie shrugged. "I can forgive, but I don't think I'll ever forget. I'll give him my trust, but I don't think I'll be able to forgive anything else from him," she said seriously.

Tifa couldn't help but notice how similar Yuffie's thoughts were to her own. She would eventually take Zack back, _if_ he decided that he wanted to be with her, but she wouldn't be able to tolerate anymore doubts or accusations on his part. "When are you going to tell Oren?"

"I don't know," the smaller woman murmured. "I don't know how he'll take this or if he'll even agree to keep getting to know his father when he learns that Vincent left his wife for me."

"He has to understand that you love each other," Tifa protested. "If she's the one who cheated first, why should Oren be against you and Vincent?"

"My son is very particular about marriage, vows, and promises. I think he got that from Vincent's father. I don't remember him much, but I remember him telling me once that promises were always meant to be kept. I don't know where that put him, since he was rarely home to be with his son, but I guess Oren is more like him than Vincent and I knew," Yuffie said, nibbling on some toast.

Tifa looked out at the shore and thought that maybe some fresh air would do her good. "Did you see them this morning?"

"Denzel and Oren? Yeah, I gave them some money to get some exploring done. Knowing them, they'll spend all their money on some arcade before they even get breakfast," Yuffie said with a grin.

Tifa stood. "I'm going to go for a walk. Wanna come with or are you going to spend some time with your sweetheart?" she asked with a grin.

"How about we meet in an hour or two and then get some sightseeing and shopping done?" Yuffie asked.

"Okay. Just give me a call. I'll be down at the beach, getting some air," said Tifa before grabbing her phone and pulling on some sandals. "Don't forget about me now that you have a man," she said in a teasing tone, walking towards the sliding door at the back of the room.

"I won't," said Yuffie, a smile on her face as she finished her breakfast and left the cart outside for them to take it away. She just wanted a few minutes alone with Vincent, if only to learn how to kiss him again. She really did hope that Tifa took her man back, they both deserved to be happy along with their baby.

…………

Aerith sat up slowly on her own and bit back a grimace when her ribs protested. She could walk on her own at least, but very _very _slowly. Her wrist would be in a brace for a few more weeks, and when she inspected herself in the mirror, the grimace was ten times worse. The scabbing wounds on her faces looked painful to even look at. She had always known that she was pretty, but looking at herself now was making her feel anything but beautiful. She sighed to herself and was thankful that Cloud had at least dropped off some clothing for her a few days before. He hadn't come in to speak to her, but he had left her things with the nurse and had left.

Thinking of him made her want to cry, but she didn't want to pity herself anymore. She had lost Cloud, but she hoped to win Kadaj back, little by little. He had been by to see her a few more times, and they usually sat in silence in the room. Kadaj didn't know what to say to her, and Aerith knew that apologizing to him was getting tiresome, not to mention that the words would soon begin to lose any meaning to him if she kept on repeating them. She grabbed a brush from the bag of her things and was thankful that she had been allowed to shower, even with her brace. She had always loved her hair most about herself, and seeing it in the sorry condition it had been after waking up had made her vanity hurt.

Once she was dressed and her hair brushed out, she walked back to her hospital room and stopped when she saw that Sephiroth and Kadaj were there waiting for her. She offered them a small smile and noticed that Kadaj fought with himself to return it. "May I ask what you're doing here?" she asked lightly.

Kadaj stood and cleared his throat. "We came to help you get home. It's just… will anyone be staying with you while you get better?"

Aerith shook her head and smiled again. "I can handle being by myself, don't worry about it."

"Your husband has already moved out?" Sephiroth asked in an even tone.

"According to Tifa, he moved out a few days after my accident," said Aerith with a shaky sigh. "But I'm okay with living alone. I'm a big girl," she muttered mostly to herself.

Kadaj looked at his father and gave him an expectant look. Sephiroth's eyes narrowed at his son and he hoped that the boy was not thinking what he thought he was thinking. He couldn't be serious… "I know that I said that it would take me some time to get used to you being my mother, but… you can't be alone while you recuperate," he said seriously.

Aerith turned to look at him in surprise. "What do you suppose I do, then?"

"Well, my father and I agree that you should stay with us for a few days, while you start to feel better. We have more than enough room out our place, and we'll be close by in case you don't feel well or if you need to do something that requires help," Kadaj offered.

"Uh… I don't know what to say," Aerith murmured, feeling her heart lighten a bit. This was her son, the emotionally unstable child she had hurt beyond anything, and he was offering to help her and have her close by. Geez, she had promised herself that she wouldn't cry.

"Just say yes and don't argue," Kadaj said with a shrug. "But… before you do, let's just be clear about one thing. This doesn't mean that I've forgiven you or anything. I just… don't want to wake up one of these days and hear that something happened to you when it could've been avoided. Right, dad?" he asked, looking at his father.

Sephiroth bit back an irritated sigh and wondered if Zack would be willing to get wasted once more because he sure felt like he needed a drink at the moment. "Yes, of course. Once the pain has nearly left and you can walk at a normal pace, you can go back to your home," he said, giving her the hint that he didn't want her in his life permanently, despite the fact that she was the mother of his son.

Aerith smiled inwardly, but outwardly just nodded seriously. "Thank you so much for offering your help this way. You both have no idea how much it means to me," she said, moving slowly towards Kadaj.

The teen looked at her in confusion, but when he saw her intentions, he didn't move away. His eyes closed when Aerith leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. Then he watched her as she moved away again, and he squelched the knee-jerk reaction to wipe off her kiss. His green eyes met the lighter ones of his father and he hoped he wasn't too angry, but Sephiroth's eyes were on Aerith, a thoughtful expression on his face. Kadaj smirked to himself and just stepped back to wait for his mother to finish packing her things. He hoped he had made the right decision by bringing her closer to his life.

……………

Tifa sighed to herself and tried to forget the little episode with Yuffie in the morning. She loved her friend beyond anything, but she had no right to judge her decisions. If she wanted to be with Vincent, well, it was her decision and she would deal with any repercussions that her decision caused. She really did wish the best for her, but maybe it would've been best for Yuffie to wait for Vincent's divorce, even though they hadn't done anything too intimate yet.

About an hour before, Denzel had called her from the arcade and had told her that Zack had called him to ask about her, since her cellphone had been off since the night before and she had turned it on just in time to get her son's call. She had walked in the sand, taking in the various people enjoying their day at the beach so early. As always, her thoughts went to Zack and how she would break the news to him. She had no doubt that he would be irritated, maybe even angry because she hadn't told him about the baby from the beginning. She wasn't doing it on purpose, and she just hoped that he realized that.

As the wind blew through her long hair, she walked towards the ocean and let the small waves lap at her toes. The water was warm against her skin, and she hoped she'd get a chance to take a dip before she went with Yuffie and their sons to see Godo. She wouldn't be going in, but she would wait for Yuffie as moral support. She remembered old Godo from years ago. The man had been Yuffie's arch nemesis since the death of her mother, and they had been at each other's throats every single day. Tifa didn't want to think of what kind of war would break out when Yuffie finally confronted the man.

Tifa let out another sigh and rubbed at her stomach. She was still months away from having her baby, but she couldn't wait. She had always loved children, and though she had still been young when Denzel had come along, she had relished all the new experiences that came with a new baby. Even the sleepless nights. She wouldn't mind doing it again, and she hoped that Zack wanted to share the experience with her as well. She looked up and shielded her eyes from the glare off of the ocean's surface and turned away, reaching for her phone when it rang. However, her hand paused when she looked up and spotted someone who she hadn't been expecting to see. "Zack?" she murmured, shielding her eyes from the sun.

He smiled at her, easy and gentle. "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving the country?" he asked with a grin.

Tifa wanted to cry, and only half of the blame went to her hormones. The other half went to the fact that she was happy to see him and had missed him. "Well, I didn't think you wanted to know about every step that I take," she said, trying for a joke, even as she felt her eyes threaten to fill with tears.

"See, now that's where you're wrong. I want to know everything about you," Zack said seriously, reaching up to push some of her hair out of her face. She looked so beautiful, and he wondered if she had missed him as much as he had her. "Teef, I know we talked about giving each other time, but I just can't wait anymore. I agreed to it because I realized that it was something you needed, but I've known what I've wanted for some time now, and that's you. I don't want to be away from you anymore," he admitted.

Her hold on her tears broke and they came in torrents. Zack frowned in worry and moved forward to wrap her in his arms as she cried quietly into his chest. "I'm sorry," she said, voice choked with tears. "My hormones are all over the place."

Zack smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple. "So what do you say? You want to give me that chance now?"

Tifa parted her lips to say yes and to tell him about the baby when a wave of dizziness froze the words in her throat. Everything caught up to her, including the sleepless nights, worrying about Cloud and Aerith, worrying about Yuffie, and worrying about when she would tell Zack about the baby. Everything went black, and she slumped against Zack.

"Tifa?" he asked softly. His heart stopped when she began to slide down, but he stopped her fall and set her in the sand gently. "Tifa? Tifa, baby, don't do this to me. What's going on?" he asked frantically, touching her face and shaking her a little. Her phone began to ring once more and he answered it quickly. "Hello?"

"Who is this? Where's Teef?" asked a woman.

"Yuffie?"

"Yeah, who is this?" she asked suspiciously.

"It's me, Zack. I'm with Tifa and she just fainted. Where's the nearest hospital?" he asked quickly.

"Too far. Bring her to the Pagoda Hotel. It's a big hotel at the start of the coast. They have an infirmary with a doctor. They'll let us know if we have to take her to the hospital," said Yuffie quickly.

"Okay, I'm on my way," said Zack, hanging up and gathering Tifa in his arms quickly. He had never been so thankful of keeping himself in shape and running with Buster every morning. His jog back towards his car in the parking lot was very quick, even with the sand causing a hindrance.

By the time he made it to the hotel, Yuffie was waiting for him and together they walked towards the infirmary of the hotel, located to the left of the lobby. "What's going on?" asked the nurse there, who was curing a rather nasty cut on the knee of a five year old boy.

"She fainted on me," Zack said as the woman pointed towards a small bed with a divider for privacy. "Set her down there and I will be right with you. The doctor should be back in minutes."

"Maybe you should wait outside," said Yuffie quickly.

"No. I want to stay with her," said Zack stubbornly.

"There are some things that I need to talk to the doctor about and I don't think Tifa would be comfortable with you hearing about it," she said seriously.

"What's wrong with her? Is she sick? Because if she is, then I have a right to know," said Zack, even as Yuffie nearly shoved him out the door.

Yuffie gave him an impatient glance. "Look, I promise that Tifa will talk about it with you, but first we have to get her to wake-up. Just work with me and wait outside, okay? Please?"

"Fine. But as soon as she's up, I'm staying with her and you won't be able to keep me away. Got it?" Zack asked her.

"Yeah," said Yuffie before she shut the door. She moved towards the nurse as she sent the boy and his father off and let out a sigh. "My friend is pregnant. You don't think there's something wrong with the baby, right?"

"We'll wait for the doctor to come back so that he can give you an answer. Right now, I need you to give me as much information about her as possible. Are you a family member?"

Yuffie shook her head. "Not by blood, but she's like my sister. I can tell you all you need to know about her medical history." She gave out the information needed while the doctor finally returned and examined Tifa. "Do you think her not being able to sleep properly caused this?"

"I believe so. Has she been under a lot of stress?" the doctor asked. Yuffie nodded. "She _needs_ to be resting more now because of the pregnancy. If she doesn't, she may put the child in harm's way."

Yuffie nodded. "She's very happy with this baby. She would never purposely put herself in this situation. It's just that some problems have been giving her sleepless nights."

"Well, for now she's okay. But she needs to get some sleep, even if it's during the day. For now, she will rest here for as long as she can, or you can have her taken to her room so that she is not disturbed. Once she gets back to her OB, if she keeps having sleeping problems, her doctor may give her something to help her sleep," said the doctor.

"But she's okay right?" Yuffie asked.

The doctor nodded. "If she feels any discomfort upon waking up, you will need to take her to a hospital immediately. Her BP has returned to normal as well as her heart rate, but we don't want to take any chances." He turned back to the nurse. "Upon waking up, make sure you call me, I will need to speak to her about all of this as well."

"Thank you for everything, doc," said Yuffie with a relieved smile. She moved outside of the infirmary and saw that Zack was standing with Vincent and that they were talking quietly. "Hey," she said, moving into Vincent's arms. "She's okay. Don't worry," she said to Zack.

"What happened? Are you sure that she's okay?"

Yuffie nodded. "She's just been really stressed and she hasn't gotten much sleep since her break-up with you. She needs you to be there with her, Zack. Just don't… overreact when she talks to you."

"About what?" Zack asked in confusion.

"You'll know soon enough," said Yuffie. "Do you want to sit with her, or should I do it? I don't mind," she said, squeezing Vincent's arms as he hugged her.

"No, that's okay. I'll stay with her. I think we still need to talk, since our talk got cut short after she passed out," he said with a faint smile. He shook hands with Vincent. "It's nice to meet you officially. What room are you guys in, just in case?"

"We're here on the first floor. My room is 10 and Tifa's is 8. I'll go see if I can find our kids to let them know what's going on. Zack?" she asked before turning to go. He gave her a questioning look. "Don't make her cry anymore, okay?"

He nodded and gave her a small smirk. "I won't. Don't worry," he said before stepping into the infirmary and taking a seat next to Tifa. He took her hand in his and pressed a kiss to her palm, his other hand pushing her hair out of her face. "I'm glad you're okay," he murmured.

"Oh!" said the nurse as she stepped in to check on Tifa. "I'm sorry. I didn't know someone was staying with her. Are you her husband?" she asked in confusion.

"Ah, no," said Zack with a grin. "But I'm hoping she'll want me for the job."

The woman smiled and let out a little sigh. "Then you must be the father. Congratulations. I'm sure the both of you will be great parents."

Zack's eyes widened into near saucers. "Uh, what? Father?"

"Yes," she said with a bright smile. The smile fell when she noticed the look on Zack's face. "Oh dear. Did you not know? Are you not the father?"

He cleared his throat and rubbed a hand over his face. "Well, yes. Of course I'm the father, but… she hasn't told me anything about it," he said softly. He turned to look at Tifa and wondered how long she had known. He wouldn't ever doubt her about the paternity of the child, but… why had she kept it from him?

……

She couldn't remember why her bed felt so uncomfortable. Last she remembered, the mattress in the hotel had been incredibly soft. She coughed a little and rolled onto her side, her head hurting a little. She opened her eyes and blinked in the brightness of the room. All she could see was a strange curtain divisor and everything around her was white. She sat up slowly and nearly fell off the bed when she saw that Zack was sitting on a chair by her bed, looking at her thoughtfully.

"Zack?" she asked, a little uncertain. She didn't know if she was dreaming, or if maybe her tired mind had imagined him.

He smirked a little. "I'm glad to see you're okay. You freaked me out for a moment there," he said. Then he turned serious. "Do you have something to say to me?"

"What do you mean?" Tifa asked, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Her breath suddenly caught and she hoped that he didn't know about the baby yet. But judging by where they were, which looked like the nurse's office at a school, only much bigger, Tifa deduced that he had taken her to a doctor. "What-what happened to me?" she asked softly.

"You passed out when we were talking, and I called Yuffie. She told me to bring you here. They told us that you haven't been sleeping well. Once Yuffie left, I came here to sit with you, and the nurse blurted out something that I don't think you wanted me to know just yet. Do you have something to say to me?" he asked her softly.

Tifa swallowed hard and nodded. "I didn't want you to find out like this," she said urgently, her eyes watering again. Damn her hormones!

"How long have you known?" Zack asked, looking away from her watery eyes.

Great, now he would get angry at her for knowing and not telling him. "More than a month," she admitted, hanging her head and wiping away her tears. "I just… I just knew that if I told you before I asked you for a break, you wouldn't have taken it."

"And that's your reasoning behind not telling me that I'm going to be a father?" he asked, frowning. He stood from his chair and began to walk away.

Tifa looked up, her heart aching in her chest. "Where are you going?" she called, breath catching in a sob.

Zack turned back to look at her. "I just… I need I minute. Don't worry. I'll be back," he said before he was out the door.

The tears came again. He hadn't looked angry. It was more like disappointment in her not trusting him that she had seen in his gorgeous eyes. Tifa stood, feeling only a little better after having slept nearly the whole morning. The nurse stopped her and asked her to wait for the doctor. After he explained to her what she should do and shouldn't, she slowly walked to her room, trying desperately not to cry. She couldn't believe that he had just walked away from her that way. He hadn't even told her what he thought about being a father.

She didn't know how long she lay in bed, clad in a pair of shorts and an oversized shirt when she heard a knock on the door. Tifa looked at the clock by the bed and realized that she had missed lunch and that she had been in bed, staring at the wall for nearly two hours. She ran a hand through her hair quickly before opening the door, her eyes falling on Zack as he stood there in front of her, hands behind his back. "Hey," she said softly, not able to meet his eyes.

"Look at me Tifa," Zack said softly. She did so and barely had time to blink before he had her wrapped in his arms. "I'm sorry that I left like that. It wasn't my intention to hurt you even more, but… I… you have to understand that it was a shock to hear about the baby from someone I don't even know. And then for you to tell me that you had known for more than a month?"

Tifa nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him as tightly as she could. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I just couldn't find the best time to tell you."

"Well," he said with a faint smile, pulling back to clean away her tears. "It's a good thing you didn't decide to tell me until you went into labor. Now then, I would've been _very_ angry," he murmured.

She let out a watery laugh and nodded. "You forgive me then?"

Zack nodded and leaned forward to kiss her deeply. "Only if you forgive me too," he murmured once he pulled away. She just nodded and hugged him again as he picked her up and carried her to the bed after shutting the door. He sat her down and handed her something he had been hiding for a while now. "This is for you," he said with a grin.

Tifa took the small blue paper bag from him and looked through the tissue. She was nearly in tears again as she pulled out a two little newborn suits, one in pink and the other in baby blue, and made of the softest material she had ever touched.

"I ran across a baby store while I was walking around and I thought that it would only be right if I gave you the first gift for our baby," Zack said, feeling his heart do a little dance when a smile lit her face. "Are we okay now?" he asked softly.

Tifa nodded and stood to hug him again. "Yes. We're okay now," she said before kissing him softly.

…

…

…

…

…

…

Before I start with my final note, I want to thank aStaticLove, 2-Cold, Sinnocently, Rain-Loveless-, vivalaturnthepage—don't know who you are, but thanks a bunch, YesAnimeCharactersCanBeSexy, Vampyric Ninja, Moonstarlight, X Sarizar, and DragonGirl323, for your encouraging words regarding the situation, and Naoki-onee, Star Anise, and Zunbi, for focusing your positive words on the story. I hope I didn't miss anyone, but to all of you, thank you! Your words gave me even more strength to just let it go and to ignore the flamers from now on.

Now, moving on to the chapter. How was it? Was it too boring? No action or drama? Don't worry about it, there's drama coming up with Yuffie, Godo, and Oren, so stay tuned for that. You pervs, you thought Yuffie was going to just give it up to Vince, huh? Well, not yet. She's been preaching about not being a bad person, so they're gonna wait. Don't worry about it though, it'll come soon enough! Also, there will be more of SephAerith, so I hope I do good with their pairing. Again, thank you all for the support and for sticking with me despite it all. I hope everyone has a great weekend, and I'll try to have another chapter by next Tuesday, though I can't promise anything. See you around!

Joey


	15. Warnings

………………………………

**Warnings**

………………………………

Zack stared at the TV in front of him blankly. There was a movie playing, but he wasn't paying much attention to it because his mind kept repeating to him over and over that he was going to have a baby with the woman he loved. He was getting old, he knew, and he had enjoyed his bachelor years immensely, even during his years in SOLDIER and after Scarlet had left with his old friend. Though he knew that it was a good time to have kids, he was still a little freaked out over the prospect of being someone's father. What if he screwed up and his kid ended up hating him most of the time like Seph's kid? He knew with certain conviction that he would never leave a child of his behind, the way it had happened with Yuffie's son, and he knew in his gut that he would love Tifa always.

His eyes moved down to where she was settled against his chest, sleeping peacefully and catching up with her much needed rest. At first, he _had_ been angry to find out that she had known for a while about the baby. He had walked out on her in order to not say something he would've regretted later on. Then, as he had stumbled upon that baby store, he had taken a moment to take it all in. The clothing, the blankets, the bottles, the cribs, the toys, and—here he shuddered a bit—the diapers. Then he had come across the little clothes he had given to Tifa as the first gift to their baby and he had begun to wonder if he would have a little girl, with Tifa's long hair and beautiful features, or if they would have a boy who looked like a perfect mix of them both. He couldn't be angry at her for keeping the news from him, and he couldn't stress her out any more than what she had already been through. He wanted her to be happy. _With _him at her side.

Yeah, being a dad would be scary business, but Tifa would be able to teach him what he didn't know. After all, Denz was almost seventeen and would soon be a senior in school and the kid had grown up remarkably with split parents, an obvious example that Tifa had been a good mother to him. Maybe he wouldn't be so bad, he thought as he watched Tifa roll away from him and onto her stomach. Zack grinned and kissed the back of her neck. He couldn't wait to tell Seph that he was going to be a father; the other man would have plenty to say about his lack of skills in the baby department.

……………

"Shouldn't we have waited for your mom instead?" asked Denzel as he and Oren made their way to the guarded pagoda. They had used half of the money for breakfast and the arcade, and then they had taken a cab to the heart of the city, where Godo Kisaragi lived.

Oren shook his head. "I need to talk to the old man on my own, without mom there screaming obscenities every few minutes. I want to find out his true reasoning and have him tell me to my face why I was denied a father," he said darkly.

"Halt. Turn around and go back where you came from. Lord Godo does not see strangers who are begging for clothes or food," said a guard as they approached the main gate.

Denzel and Oren just stared, feeling insulted. Did they look like a couple of beggars? "Tell old _lord _Godo, that his grandson is here to see him. I'm Yuffie Kisaragi's son and he can't deny me when I have something important to ask him," Oren bit out.

The guard looked at him skeptically. "You don't look like lady Kisaragi," he muttered.

Oren rolled his eyes. "That's because I look like my father. Just let Godo know that I'm here, will you?"

The guard finally nodded and looked at his partner. "Stay here and make sure that they don't steal anything," he called before walking off towards a booth a few feet away, presumably to call up someone at the palace.

"What are we gonna steal?" Denzel griped. "The fifty foot statues of Leviathan?"

Oren let out a snort that was half laugh and crossed his arms over his chest as the guard returned a few minutes later. "Well?" he asked.

The guard cleared his throat and motioned for his partner to reach for the gate. "Lord Godo will see you now, but he says that if you are a fraud, he will have you sent to jail for disturbing him."

"I can just feel the family love," Denzel told Oren as they were escorted by a guard up to the pagoda. His friend just smirked and nodded. They entered the majestic place that looked like a palace more than anything, and where greeted by a woman in a kimono. They followed her to sitting room, but both teens declined taking a seat or tea. "Maybe I should've waited outside," said Denzel.

Oren shook his head. "No, it's okay. There's nothing that you don't already know," he said with a shrug. Then they looked up when the two main doors opened, and in walked a man not very impressive. He was dressed in a robe made of expensive silk and though he walked with an air of importance, Oren wasn't all impressed. Besides, it was a good thing his mom didn't look much like him. She had inherited all of her mother's looks and maybe that was one reason why her father had always made her life miserable.

"So… you are Yuffie's boy," said Godo calmly. "What can I help you with?"

Oren gave the old man a dark look. "My father returned," he said evenly.

Godo's eyes widened only slightly. "You know the truth then. You must understand that what I did was to protect her from that failure of a man that she wanted to be with. She deserved better than him, but she never understood that I wanted what was best for her," he nearly growled out.

Oren just shook his head, not believing what the man was saying. "I just wanted to ask you why? Why would you tell him that he wasn't good enough for my mother? Why interfere in her life when you didn't have a right to? Are you aware that you destroyed our lives? Hers _and _mine? If you can answer all those questions without giving me pure bullshit, then I will think that the opinion my mother has of you is wrong."

"Mind the way you speak to me," Godo warned.

"Why? You're not my family, and because of you, I grew up without a father. Why should I respect you?" he spat.

Godo looked at his grandson and really took him in in his anger. He looked just like the man that had sired him. The Kisaragi blood ran through the boy's veins and manifested in his temperament, but he looked nothing like his ancestors. "She raised you well on her own."

"But that wasn't your decision to make," another voice rang around the room.

"Hmm… it's been a long time… daughter," Godo said to her, a faint smirk on his face as he turned towards the door. His eyes narrowed when he saw the man standing behind her. "You always did have an eye for men below your station, even at a young age. You got that from your mother."

Yuffie clenched her fists in anger, but refrained from screaming when she felt Vincent's hands touch one of her fists. "I always knew she didn't love you. That was why she always urged me to find someone that I truly loved. And I did, but you had to take that away from me, didn't you Godo?" she hissed.

Godo didn't look phased at her words. "Your son grew up much better without _him_ there to taint him. Did you honestly think that some pathetic boy would've been a good role model to your child? You should be thanking me," he said with a sniff.

Yuffie did lunge forward this time, but Vincent's arms were around her waist, stopping her from moving, even as she struggled in her rage. "You foolish old man!" she shrieked. "You broke our lives into pieces and you want me to thank you?! Go fuck yourself!"

"Yuffie, please, calm down," Vincent said against her ear, even as she continued to thrash in his grip.

Godo gave her a cold look and then turned to his grandson. "You are still young and wouldn't understand my reasons for what I did. Your mother was always a disappointment, but you… if you are willing, I can teach you all about politics, war strategy, and how to rule an entire country. I need an heir."

Yuffie stopped her fight with Vincent's arms and stared at her father, who turned to look at her at the abrupt silence in the room. "I'll kill you before you even get a chance to corrupt my son."

Oren looked at his own grandfather in disgust. Was the man serious? He let out a low laugh and scoffed. "Mom was right about you. You just don't understand the concept of family or respect, do you? That's why you're alone, and I'm sure it's why you never remarried," he said, shaking his head. "I want nothing to do with you. I'm happy where I am, who I hang out with, and the girls _below _my station that I date. I'm even glad that that man standing there is my father and not some high collared fool with nothing but politics and looking good in front of the media as his only goal in life."

Vincent hid a smile at his son's words and hoped that the small amount of respect the teen held now wasn't shattered when he and Yuffie broke the news that they were together. He had kept silent so far, even though he was itching to tell the old man a few things himself. This wasn't his argument. Yuffie and Oren were the ones who had been damaged the most because of it all.

"You didn't succeed in separating us, old man," Yuffie spat.

"No? Isn't he married to another woman? Haven't you been seeing another man… daughter?" Godo asked them both.

Yuffie's eyes narrowed in simmering rage. "You've been spying on me?" she asked in a deathly soft voice. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. If she kept on with her anger, she'd end up having some type of heart attack. "Fine. You know what? I don't care what you know about me. What your sources didn't tell you is that Vincent and I are together now. Didn't think that would happen again, did you old man?" she asked smugly.

Godo sneered. "I didn't know that you would allow yourself to become his mistress." He turned to Oren. "Do you see now why I wanted them apart? He turns her into something inferior when she should be treated like the princess that she is."

"You made it painfully clear years ago that I was no longer your daughter or a _princess_. According to you, I was at the level of a common whore, wasn't I Godo?" Yuffie asked, trying to get her temper under control.

Vincent had had enough of what the old man was telling Yuffie. "My love for her never made her inferior. I left my wife and have started the divorce process. Then I will marry Yuffie—and despite you—we will be happy," he said with quiet conviction.

Yuffie started when she saw the look on Oren's face. "Kid, what's wrong? Aren't you happy that your father and I are finally going to be together?" she asked softly.

Oren just shook his head and moved towards Denzel, who had been trying to make himself invisible through the entire conversation. "Your happiness comes at the price of a broken family. How can I be happy about that?" he asked seriously. Then he turned to Godo. "I want nothing to do with you or your position of power. You destroyed our lives when you didn't have a right to. I will never forgive you for that," he said, eyes darting to his parents. He just shook his head and walked out the door with his friend.

"Just like your mother," said Godo, looking arrogant. "Always thinking about your needs without bothering to take others into consideration."

"No," Yuffie spat. "That would make me just… like… you," she said slowly. "My son will come around eventually, because after all, I'm with his father. But you… he will never allow you to get close to him, and that's the biggest victory in this whole war between you and me. It's sad that you'll die alone, but you deserve it. Go with the knowledge that I will always hate you," Yuffie said before she took Vincent's hand and together they walked away from Godo.

Godo merely brushed off her words. Life would've been so much easier if he'd had a son instead of a daughter.

………

Tifa hummed in pleasure as she felt warm hands smooth up her hips. She'd had some much needed sleep and felt better than she had in weeks. Her eyes were still closed as she felt even warmer lips moving against her neck and collarbone. "The doctor asked me to get some rest," she breathed as his hands kept moving up, inching her shirt up, up, and… she let out a gasp when his lips moved to her chest.

"Think of this as relaxation," Zack murmured as her eyes finally opened. He smirked at her and moved up to kiss her slowly, trying to let her know just how much he had missed her. The kiss broke at the sound of shouting coming from Denzel and Oren's room. "Great. Is everything against us today?" he muttered in annoyance.

"Get off, Zack," she said quickly, pushing at his shoulder. He did so and Tifa stood, straightening her clothes and her hair as she knocked on the door that joined their rooms. Denzel opened it and smiled when he saw Zack come up behind her. "What's going on?" Tifa asked, trying to hear what was going on.

"Oren and I went to see Godo. Then his mom and dad showed up and they told Godo—and Oren by default—that they were together now. Oren didn't like the fact that they destroyed Vincent's family to be together, and that is why you hear all the arguing now," Denzel said. "Mind if I hang in your room while they argue? It's kinda not my place to be there right now," he said.

"Yeah," said Zack. "I brought some snacks over, so feel free to grab some," he said as he stood at the doorway and Tifa walked further into the room to see if she could help.

"…That's not the point!" said Oren, exasperated. "If you're with her now, that means he left his family for you. If you would've at least waited until the divorce to _announce _that you're together, things would be different!"

"Why are you acting this way? I've waited sixteen years—almost seventeen years to be with your father!" Yuffie said impatiently. "If can't see that, then I _did_ do something wrong in raising you," she said softly. Her eyes fell on Tifa and she shook her head. "Don't say anything Teef. If he can't understand that I love Vincent, then I did something wrong," she repeated.

Oren felt guilt settle in his heart at her words and the fact that his mother was fighting with her tears. It wasn't that he didn't want them to be together. He just didn't think it would be right for them to be together at the cost of a broken family. Despite the explanation his father had given him about his wife being unfaithful first, she wouldn't have done it had his father stayed away from his mother in the first place. And what about the girl that Vincent had raised? Didn't she matter at all? "Aunt Tifa, do you think I can stay over with Denzel for a few days? Sorry mom, but right now I just can't be in the same house with you and my father. Because I'm assuming that he'll want to move in, right?"

"I won't until the divorce is final, but I will visit your mother every chance I get," Vincent responded. "Don't do this to her. Don't leave her alone."

"I just can't be around either of you," said Oren sadly. "Aunt Tifa?" he asked again.

Tifa looked at Yuffie and saw her friend nod in acceptance. "Okay, Oren. You can stay with Denzel. Why don't you go with him, he's in my room right now. Go catch a movie or something," she said to the tall teen. Oren nodded and glanced at is parents once before walking away.

Yuffie felt her tears fall once he was gone and she cried into Vincent's chest as he embraced her. He looked at Tifa and gave her a sad look. "I'll just let Lucrecia win in the divorce. I'll stay with you while Oren is gone," he whispered into Yuffie's hair.

She just nodded and clung to him, not bothering to hide her tears from her best friend. "Don't deny my money, Teef. He'll be eating and sleeping at your home, so I'll help out with the expenses."

Tifa just nodded and reached over to rub her back. "I don't need it, but we'll do things however you want. Just give him some time, both of you. He's probably very confused right about now and it's best not to push him," she offered. She glanced towards the doorway at Zack and he gave her a reassuring smile. "Call me if you need anything, Yuffs," she said before she and Zack walked back into her room.

Zack watched Tifa as she slowly walked into the room, a look of worry on her face. He wrapped her in his arms and gave her a squeeze. "Don't worry about the kid. You're right, he'll come around eventually and he'll accept his parents being together. Besides, Yuffie has this Vincent fellow now. I don't know him much, but he seems serious in regard to his feelings for her."

"I know, but she's my best friend and that boy is like my nephew. I'm worried that they _won't _be able to find common ground. Yuffie has raised that boy on her own, and even though she has Vincent now, Oren is the most important part of her life. I don't know how she'll react if she can't fix things between them all," said Tifa with a sigh. She managed a smile when she felt Zack's lips on her neck.

"How about we just forget these problems for a little bit?" he asked with a grin. "These have been the longest weeks of my life," he murmured, hands wandering.

She nodded and smoothed her hands up his back. "Mine too. Now, where were we?"

……………

Nearly two weeks later, they all returned to Edge, Yuffie and Vincent to her home, and Oren to Tifa's and Denzel. She didn't mind having her nephew there with her, but she still worried about Yuffie. Despite the drama that had gone on the second day of their stay at Wutai, Tifa had enjoyed her time there, with Zack. They had gone sightseeing, and she had also managed to spend some time alone with Yuffie, trying to cheer her up. Oren had kept his distance from his parents and had taken to going everywhere with Denzel in order to avoid even looking at either Vincent or Yuffie.

Zack had wanted to stay with her during the duration of their vacation, but Tifa didn't feel right now that both her nephew and son would be in the house with them. So instead she would just let him know when it was safe to come over, which would be when both teens left the house.

Thankfully, the morning sickness had ebbed and all she had to worry about now were the cravings and avoiding the foods that made her nauseous. The list was still growing, and she honestly couldn't remember Denzel being _that_ bothersome. She smiled to herself and patted her stomach fondly as she sipped at a homemade fruit smoothie. There were a couple of fruits that succeeded in twisting her stomach, but in smoothie form, none of them bothered her. As she made her way out of the kitchen, the doorbell rang and she walked over to get the door. Her face pulled into a smile and she opened the door wider. "Hey, Cloud," she said brightly.

"How are you Tifa?" he asked, stepping into the living room and noting that Tifa was looking relaxed and happier than he ever remembered seeing her.

"I'm fine. Are you here to see Denzel?" she asked, motioning for him to take a seat on the couch.

"Yes, but I also came by to give you this," he said, handing over a plain white box that looked suspiciously like a gift. "It's not much of a gift for your new baby, but I found it the other day while I was getting the rest of my things from the house and I thought you would like it."

Tifa set down her smoothie and opened the box, pushing away some plain tissue paper and pulling out a thick, yellow blanket with a large, embroidered duck on one corner. "This was the blanket your mother made for Denzel. It was his first blanket," she murmured, touching the soft material. "You've kept this all these years? I thought that we had lost it somewhere."

Cloud smiled faintly. "Once Denzel outgrew it, I kept it in this special box thing that doesn't allow for the bugs to eat it. I kept it for myself. Don't worry though, I washed it and everything before bringing it to you. I'm sure the new baby will love it as much as our son did," he said lightly.

Tifa smiled, even as she sniffed a little, and laughed at the confused expression on Cloud's face. "I love this gift, but you have to remember that in this state, just about anything can make me cry. Thank you, I love it," she said, giving him a short squeeze filled with feeling. She pulled away and swiped at her eyes, trying to compose herself. "So… you really moved out now? What about Aerith? Where are you living now?" she asked in worry.

Cloud shrugged. "I found an apartment with two bedrooms that's close by the school. When I went for a few last things, the house was empty and didn't look lived in at all. When I went to ask for her at the hospital, the nurses told me that she had left with her son. I suppose she's living with them now," he replied, trying not to give away just how much it had disappointed him that she had.

Tifa patted his shoulder. "Cloud, you were the one who started the divorce process. You can't blame her for taking any comfort that her child and his father can give her," she said softly.

"I know," he admitted. "But that doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt to know that she's near another man so shortly after our marriage ended."

The brunette didn't know what to say to that. She smiled and stood. "Let me go get Denzel, he's upstairs, playing videogames with Oren," she said before walking off towards her son's room. He looked up at her and gave her a questioning look when she knocked. "Your dad is down stairs. Why don't you hang out with him for a few days? Cheer him up a little. He's been really down," said Tifa quietly.

Denzel didn't look very opposed to the idea. "You want me to live with him? What about Oren?"

"I'll go with you if you want," said Oren. "I don't mind."

"Now all we have to do is ask him if he wants us to hang with him," said Denzel with a small shrug.

"Well," said Tifa impatiently. "Get to it!"

"What about you?" Denzel asked, slightly worried.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll spend a few days with Zack at his place," said Tifa. "Now that you mention it, I need to make some phone calls to tell Zack that I'm coming over, and one to your mom to let her know where you will be," she said to Oren, who looked annoyed at the mention of his mother. "Now, run along and go suggest this to your dad, Denz. I don't know either if he'll want any company, but I know that he does."

Denzel nodded and walked downstairs to see his dad sitting patiently on the couch, staring into space. "Hey dad," he said.

"How are you Denzel?" asked Cloud with a small smile.

"I'm good," said the teen, looking a little uncomfortable. "Do you… think it would be okay if Oren and I came to hang with you for a few days? He's living here for a few days, but I don't think he'd want to hang with my mom," he said absently.

"Did your mother suggest you do that?" Cloud asked.

"Nah, well…" he cleared his throat. "Maybe. But I want to. I know you've been down since this whole thing with Aerith began, and I just want to keep you company. As long as it's okay with you," Denzel murmured.

Cloud stood and patted his shoulder. "I would like that very much, but… why is Oren living here now?" he asked in curiosity.

"He's mad at his mom and dad because his dad left his wife for her. So he's here for a few days too," said Denzel with a little shrug. "I'm gonna go pack a few things and then we can go." He jogged up the stairs and then Tifa came back down.

"Are you going to be alone while Denzel is with me?" Cloud asked her.

She shook her head. "No. I'm going to spend a few days with Zack, so you'll be able to find me there if anything comes up, okay?" Cloud just nodded and watched Tifa as she went about straightening her already clean home. "Listen," she said suddenly. "Do they let you keep dogs in your apartment?"

"I don't think so," said Cloud, a little confused. "Why?"

"I guess I'll have to take Bug with me," she said with a sigh. "The people at the puppy hotel he stayed at for two weeks told me that he was acting up because he missed us. I just don't know if he'll get along with Zack's dog, even if he is Bug's dad," she said with a little smile.

Cloud just smiled when the growing pup followed Denzel as he and the other teen raced down the stairs. "Are you both sure you're not forgetting anything?" he asked.

Denzel shook his head but then pointed at the dog. Tifa grabbed the leash by the door and clipped it to Bug's collar. "He's going to Zack's house with me," she said. "You three have fun and stay out of trouble, will you?" she asked as they all walked out the door.

"We will, mom," said Denzel with a wave before he and Oren got into Cloud's car.

Tifa waved at Cloud and offered him a reassuring smile when he stopped to look at her. He just nodded once and then got into his car before driving away. "Guess it's just you and me, Bug. Make me proud and be a good boy while we're at someone else's home?" she asked the puppy. Bug merely barked and jumped a few times, trying to get her to pick him up. She just grinned and pulled him along.

………

"I thought the morning sickness had faded a little," said Zack as he looked at Tifa in his bed. It was the morning after she had asked if she could spend a few days with him while Denzel lived with his father. Of course he had jumped at the idea, but it worried him to see how bad her mornings usually were now that she was pregnant. She was wearing a pair of his boxers and one of her oversized shirts that she had brought from home, but she looked pale and miserable. She had assured him that it would eventually fade, but Zack didn't know how millions of women had been able to put up with such a lousy symptom.

Tifa groaned in annoyance and pushed at Bug, who was standing with his front paws on the bed and currently trying to kiss her. "Do me a favor and throw Bug out? I know he's happy to see me, but dog breath is not something I need right now," she muttered.

"Would you feel better if I made you a smoothie?" he asked in concern.

Tifa felt her stomach placate a little at the thought. "_Maybe_…" she said in a low tone, a small smile on her face. "Remember to add an orange in there somewhere," she called when he whistled for Buster and Bug to leave the room.

Zack sighed to himself and wished that the pregnancy could've been a little easier on Tifa. He couldn't even imagine all the things that women had to go through, but Tifa had been poking him to read a pregnancy book that detailed the entire nine months, from the moment the baby was conceived to birth. He didn't know what to think and was barely up to the part where the fetus had begun to develop human characteristics. He didn't mind what he was reading, but realizing that _what _he was reading now was going on inside of his girlfriend, and with _his_ baby was a little scary and awe inspiring. Maybe now was a good time to ask Tifa if she wanted to move in with him or something, or was it too soon? He was staring into space, not noticing that Buster had managed to sneak into his box of biscuits and was currently not sharing with his own kid, when the doorbell rang.

He saw Tifa walking through the living room and realized that she must've gotten a little over her sickness if she was up and about. Either that, or she had had a face to face meeting with the porcelain bowl already. He vaguely noticed that Buster had left his snacks in order to see who was at the door, and the pup had taken the opportunity to stuff his snout with cookies before breakfast.

Tifa looked down at Buster when he barked and scratched him behind the ears. "It better not be a door to door salesman," she said to her companion before opening the door. If possible, her head started pounding even more at the sight of the woman on the other side. "Can I help you with something?" she asked as civilly as she possibly could with her head hurting, her stomach rumbling, and morning sickness still threatening her.

"What are you doing here?" asked Scarlet with a sneer.

"I'm here with my boyfriend. The question is, what are _you_ doing here?" Tifa snapped in annoyance. How dare this woman show up unannounced and to _her_ man's home this way? Buster barked loud and clear, making Tifa's ears ring a little. "Down boy," she muttered, the dog taking a seat at her side.

"Stupid dog, he never did that for me," Scarlet growled. "I need to see Zack," she said, brushing Tifa off and trying to get inside the house. The dog growled threateningly and she stopped.

"Why, so you can try to tell him that you're pregnant of him now? Please, your lies don't work here anymore. Go back to the man you left him for and leave him alone," Tifa said in annoyance.

"This is none of your business. Either call him, or get yourself and the dog out of my way," she demanded, moving forward.

Tifa shoved her back. Wow, had Scarlet picked the wrong day to mess with her. "Why don't you take a step back before I make you?" she asked in a soft tone, gaze frosty and serious.

"This doesn't concern you," said Scarlet, standing nose to nose with her. "You don't know me, therefore you don't know what I am capable of. Step out of the way before you get hurt."

"Try me," Tifa taunted, completely forgetting why she wasn't in a very good condition to get into a fight with anyone. "You have no business with him after what you pulled with your own daughter. The DNA test proved that she is Genesis' daughter. Leave things be."

"Never," Scarlet nearly growled. "I will never let Zack go. He will always belong to me, and he will never settle for frumpy trash like you."

Tifa couldn't help herself. Her hand suddenly made contact with the blonde's cheek with enough force to turn her head. Scarlet just stared at her in fury, and was about to lunge herself forward to tear the hair out of the brunette's head when the other woman was suddenly pulled back and away from the door by the person she had been trying to talk to.

Zack gave Tifa a look she hadn't seen directed towards her before. It was usually a look of annoyance that he gave to students who had been acting up and he had come upon them. He may have been a councilor, but he would've made a good dean. She crossed her arms over her chest and made a noise that sounded like a scoff. "Did you forget _why_ you can't go around, getting into fights?" he asked her softly.

"Well… I'm sorry about that, but… she started it. She came here to insult me and to keep interfering in your life. Did you _want_ me to welcome her in and offer her coffee?" Tifa snapped.

"Of course not," said Zack with a roll of his eyes. "The smoothie is done. Maybe you should have it before it starts to melt or Bug knocks it off of the counter," he said, hoping she took the hint.

Tifa glared at him and turned to Scarlet, who was giving her a look full of loathing, but turned and walked off towards the kitchen. Buster followed. Zack turned to Scarlet and gave her an exasperated look. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to make you and Genesis pay for getting that test done without my permission," she snarled.

"Really?" he asked. "I think you should worry more about your daughter now. Genesis didn't like the fact that you used her in trying to get back with me. He was very angry last I saw," he said matter-of-factly.

"Genesis would never do anything against me," she said haughtily.

Zack just shrugged and decided not to push the subject. "What are you doing here then?"

"I came to tell you that this isn't over. I'm not very good at losing, and I haven't lost you," Scarlet said, moving forward to look him in the eye. "I always get what I want Zack, and you aren't the exception."

Zack vaguely realized that she hadn't called him _precious_. He shuddered slightly. He had never liked that 'pet name' of hers for him. "You've lost this time, Scarlet. I'm with Tifa, and I love her. Pretty soon I'll ask her to move in with me, and then I'll marry her," he said seriously. Not realizing that Tifa was standing at enough distance to still hear what was being said. "Besides, she's having my baby and we're happy. There's nothing in the world that you could give me that I would want. I love her ten times more than I ever did you."

She slapped him. Zack just closed his eyes at the impact but otherwise did not react. "I promise you, that you will pay for rejecting me," she said before stalking away.

Tifa walked over to him, Buster at her side, and gazed at him as she sipped her smoothie. "She's a sore loser, isn't she?" she asked casually.

Zack nodded and reached up to push her hair behind her ear. "Yeah. It was one of her worst characteristics. But I meant all I said to her. Maybe we should start talking about moving in together now that the baby is on the way? Even if you hadn't gotten pregnant, I would've wanted this eventually," he said. "Do you?"

Tifa nodded and set her smoothie down on the table besides the door, which usually held his mail and keys. "Poor baby," she murmured, kissing the red skin of his cheek. "I will skin that woman alive next time she touches you this or any other way," she said softly. "And yes, I think we do need to talk about moving in together."

Zack's blue eyes softened as he looked at Tifa. "Is your morning sickness gone?"

She gave him a sly look. "Why?" she asked.

He pulled her into his arms and carried her towards his bedroom. "No reason," he said with a low chuckle before kissing her.

…………

Sephiroth stood at one of the many front windows of his home and stared at the garden right underneath. He didn't usually admire the flowers, but for the past two weeks, they seemed to have been growing brighter and more quickly than usual. He looked up when he saw Aerith walking slowly towards the bed of flowers, a small smile on her face and some flower tools in her hands. The sun was shining over her, making her brown hair shine, and her jade green eyes sparkle. She struggled a little as she kneeled and sat on the grass, but otherwise showed no signs of pain from her still healing injuries.

He knew it had been a bad idea to invite her into his home and into his life. But Kadaj… he seemed to have improved in attitude, even when he insisted that he hadn't forgiven his mother for what she had done. He even allowed himself to have friends now. Denzel and Oren had invited him and some other friends to go to a paintball tournament or something of the sort. Just seeing that new spark of light in his son's eyes was enough to allow Aerith to stay for years if she wanted. After all, his son meant the world for him, and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for him.

Sephiroth let out a long breath and walked out to the front yard, taking in the gentle sound of Aerith singing to the white and yellow flowers. She stopped and looked up at him, blushing a little. "Why… do you sing to the plants?" he asked with mild interest.

"It helps them grow better. No one believes that talking to a plant and telling them how much you care allows them to grow to be even more beautiful," she said with a faint smile, trying to find a more comfortable position that didn't make her ribs ache. She was walking a little more normal, but her ribs always seemed to pose a problem. "What brings you out here?" she asked, patting a bit of rich soil where she had just planted a few more seeds.

"The flowers," he admitted. He had to look away when she looked up and her eyes were like looking at Kadaj's.

Aerith sighed, set down her tools and pulled off the gardening gloves she had been using to protect her hands. "Help me up, will you please?" she asked, stretching out a hand.

"Why?" Sephiroth asked, not really in the mood for any type of physical contact with her.

She let out an irritated sigh and tried getting up on her own, but then he took a hold of her upper arm and her waist and hauled her up effortlessly, nearly picking her completely up. "I was just getting tired of looking up at you that way. You're not exactly as short as my ex," Aerith muttered, wondering why he hadn't let go of her yet. "You can let go now," she stressed.

Sephiroth did so and watched her as she turned to look at him. Though she was standing now, there was still the matter of him being much taller than her. He knew though, that her eyes had always had the power to make him feel smaller. He had never liked it when she used the power she had over him, and it made it even worse that she had used it without being conscious of it. Like the way her eyes had darkened if he had done something she hadn't liked, or how she had used her body to melt any type of resistance on his part over anything. He realized his thoughts weren't making much sense, and that he still hadn't released her.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I've been trying to make things up to Kadaj, but I know that I have a lot to make up for with you too," Aerith said softly, her eyes on the ground.

"I told you that there's nothing to keep apologizing for. I had years and years to get over what you did to us. Kadaj hasn't. Just focus your attentions on him and all will be well," he said seriously, the wind blowing her sweet smelling hair into his face.

"I never meant to hurt you," she started again, shining eyes on his face.

"I told you not to bother," Sephiroth said flatly.

"You can't order me not to try to make things right," Aerith said indignantly, green eyes flashing in sudden anger. "It's something _I _want to do. Are you still as stuck up as I remember?"

Sephiroth started, not believing that she was taking on the insulted role for this. She didn't have the right. "I'm not the same idiot I was when I allowed you to take over my life all those years ago," he snapped, releasing her with such force that she nearly stumbled.

"I didn't take over your life!" she exclaimed, wanting nothing more than to make him eat the dirt she had just been nourishing. How dare he say such a thing? "Geez, now I remember why were always fighting," she muttered, turning to walk away.

Sephiroth's green gaze followed her, and before he knew it he was at her side, turning her around and pulling her into a bruising kiss that made her utter a sound of pain. Her hands were clutching at the front of his shirt, but otherwise she wasn't fighting to pull away. When he moved back, there were tears standing in her eyes. "I-I'm sorry," he muttered, not knowing what had come over him.

"I'm fine," she said, wincing a little. "But you kind of squeezed my ribs, and they've been bothering me more than my head."

_Idiot_, he thought to himself. He had hurt her because he had wanted to get a point across, but he hadn't even stopped to think about her recent injuries. "Seriously, I'm sorry about acting that way."

Aerith looked at him through narrowed eyes and motioned for him to come closer. He did so, nearly bending a little so that they would be nose to nose. "If you're going to kiss someone to get a point across," she said smugly, as if she had been reading his thoughts. "You do it like this." She closed the small distance between them and caressed his cheek before kissing him gently, just their lips touching.

Sephiroth was torn between shoving her away and just plain letting her have her way. She was proving once more just how easily he could let down his guard where she was concerned. Before he could pull back and give her a piece of his mind, she drew away, blinking long lashes over those stunning eyes and a small smile lighting up her beautiful face.

"Remember," Aerith said quietly. "I'm not that foolish little girl you met all those years ago either," she said before walking slowly away, a little smirk curling her lips. That would teach him not to underestimate her ever again.

…

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…

How is everyone on this fine evening? Well, it's hot as hell here but at least I got this chapter out today as promised. Did everyone like? There you have more SephAerith and I hope I didn't go too OOC on them. Also, more drama, and a bit of slapping too, but we haven't seen the end of Scarlet. Up next Cloud finally gets a break, and Yuffie will try to fix things with her kid. Also, more baby stuff with Tifa and Zack, but that's all you're all getting for now. Now, on a totally different topic, I've been trying to find a good name for Tifa and Zack's baby, any suggestions? I'm willing to hear your suggestions, but just beware that I _may_ find a name on my own too, so don't feel bad if I don't use the name. Besides, don't know yet whether it's a girl or boy. And yes, I think I fell in love with Seph thanks to _Crisis Core_. Zack is still my number one, followed by Vince and Seph, but they're all competing for my number one. I think they did a good job with Sephiroth's character before he went crazy. It shows that he really could've been human had he never found out about Jenova. Anyway, thanks so much for the reviews last chapter, I do appreciate them very much, and I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. See you!

Joey


	16. You

………………………………

**You**

………………………………

"Why is that these days you and Tifa's ex spend your time drinking? Is it because of Aerith?" Zack asked as he took a seat with Sephiroth at a restaurant that was closer to being an actual bar.

Sephiroth just grunted and took a gulp of his vodka. "You seem cheerful. Did you fix things with Tifa?"

Zack grinned and nodded, looking smug. "I spent two weeks with her in Wutai. Why didn't you call me to ask how things were going? For all you knew, I could've died in a plane crash," he said, feigning hurt.

Sephiroth smirked. "I would've seen it on the news," he said nonchalantly.

His dark haired friend let out a chuckle and nodded. "Yeah. I can just imagine you crying over my grave. But yes, Tifa and I are good now. Matter of fact, she's at my place right now," he said.

"What are you doing here then?" asked Sephiroth.

"I love Tifa to death, but you're a friend in need and she understood. Her kid is staying with his dad for a few days, so she's crashing with me, so as soon as I go home, I'll spend more time with her," he said. "How are things with your kid?"

"Better," Sephiroth said grudgingly. "He's been better since he found out about _her_, despite not _forgiving_ her yet. We haven't argued once since she moved in, and he's even going out with friends."

"That's… a very good improvement," Zack said in surprise. "But what has got you all twisted?"

"I don't get… twisted," Sephiroth muttered in distaste. "But I do get aggravated. I don't know what to think of Aerith anymore. She said that she wanted to make things up to me. But I told her she didn't have to. We ended up kissing."

Zack's eyes were wide. _"Really?"_ he asked in interest. "And here I was under the impression that you didn't want her physically near you." Sephiroth didn't miss the sarcasm in the other man's comment and just rolled his eyes. Zack grinned. "Why don't you just give her a chance and get over it?"

"A chance at what?" asked Sephiroth, suddenly angry. "To dump shit all over my feelings again? Allow her to destroy what I have built for myself and my son?"

"It's been sixteen years, you don't think she deserves a chance? Shit man, she saved her kid's life by almost giving hers. Just give yourself this opportunity and maybe you'll find that you won't regret. Besides, I followed my own advice, and if I hadn't, maybe I never would've known that Tifa is having my baby," he said, watching Seph's reaction with a hidden grin.

The taller man looked surprised, but pleasantly so. "Congratulations. I'm sure the child will be born more mature than you," he said with a smirk, shaking Zack's hand.

"Naturally, I expect you to be there when he or she is born so that we can smoke cigars together," said Zack.

Sephiroth let out a chuckle and nodded. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Now… about Aerith…"

"I have to think about it," his friend replied. "I don't know yet if I even want to bother with this. But thanks for the advice," Sephiroth said honestly.

Zack grinned. "See? Being a dad is making me wiser."

"Ha. We'll see about that," Sephiroth said before he ordered another round for them.

………………

Their vacation was over too soon and Tifa found that she didn't want to leave Zack's home, since it had partly become her home too. They were still discussing moving in together, but she needed to talk to Denzel first. Tifa wanted her son to participate as much as possible in any of the decisions that concerned them both. Denzel had spent a good few weeks with his father, and Oren with him. Yuffie was beyond sad and disappointed, but she didn't want to push her son into anything either.

Her pregnancy was normal and healthy, and the morning sickness was finally gone, though she did get little episodes of nausea whenever she took in the scents of foods that were on her no-no list. She had spent the last week getting her assignments ready for the new semester and was proud to say that she was back on her teaching game. "Denzel, are you getting ready yet?" she called up the stairs. "And tell Oren that breakfast is ready too!"

"Yeah. I'll be down in a few, and I'll tell him," he called back.

Tifa smiled when she spotted Bug running towards her and she stopped to pour him his breakfast. A few minutes later, Denzel was downstairs and nearly wolfing down his food as Tifa watched in mild disgust. "It's a miracle you didn't choke," she commented, taking a sip of her orange juice. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something important," she stated.

"What about?" asked Denzel.

"How would you feel about us moving in with Zack at his place? We've been talking and now that the baby is on the way, we want to be together under the same roof. I just wanted to know your opinion before we made any type of decision," said Tifa, picking at a piece of carrot cake she had baked the night before.

Denzel sat back and thought about it for a moment, his blue eyes staring into space. "What would happen to this place?" he asked.

Tifa shrugged. "I'll talk to your father. Maybe he wants to lease it or buy it. Then you would be able to keep your room here and you would be able to come over whenever you wish."

"Well," he started, taking another sip of his juice. "I don't mind. I really like Zack and he makes you happy. Whatever you decide, I'll go with it."

Tifa always wondered why her son was so cooperative with her about anything. They did have their ups and downs, mainly due to his inherent need to act up and rebel at his age, but those moments she could count in one hand. Cloud wasn't usually a confrontational type of man—even though he had changed much during the last year or so—so Tifa supposed that her son got it from him. "You have no problem with this?" she asked, really wanting to know if he did.

"No. I mean, if he asked you to move to another city or country, well I would've flipped out completely. But we're just moving a couple of blocks away, so I'm okay with that. I will get my own room, right?"

Tifa gave him a look. "No, Denz, you'll be sleeping in the creepy basement with Buster and Bug," she deadpanned.

Denzel shrugged and grinned, looking up when Oren walked into the kitchen too, both already dressed for the first day of the new semester. The teen sat at the table and ate his food almost as quickly as Denzel. "Thanks a bunch, aunt Tifa. Your cooking is the best," he said with an easy grin.

"Your mother called. She said she and your father wish you luck with the beginning of school again," said Tifa seriously.

Oren shrugged and poured himself another glass of orange juice. "I'll most likely see her today. I wonder how she'll look me in the eye if she knows that living with my father before he's divorced is wrong."

"You have to cut her some slack. She raised you for sixteen years, not counting the aches and pains she suffered through to get you into this world. And she did it all alone. Doesn't she deserve a shot of happiness? Are you so stubborn that you don't see that you're breaking her heart?" Tifa asked softly. She had left the situation between Yuffie and her son alone since that day in Wutai, but she was tired of Oren's stubbornness and she couldn't take any more of Yuffie's pain. It wasn't like she didn't want to, but it hurt her own heart to listen to Yuffie nearly cry every time she called to check on her son.

"I… Tifa, they could've waited for my father to divorce his wife before they made any public announcements and decided to be together. Of course I would want my parents to be together again, but not this way. I always held my mom in high esteem, but with this, my opinion of her was cut in half. I don't know my father, so it's easier to get over, but not with my mom."

Tifa let out a sigh and nodded. She understood his opinion, even if she didn't agree with it, but she supposed that the boy needed more time to think. "Let's get going, guys. It's better for us to be early," she said, grabbing her bag and walking with them out the door. Luckily, they'd had a doggie door installed for Bug to go about his business while they were gone, so they didn't have to worry about him.

When they arrived at the school, Zack was waiting for them by his car. He walked over and opened Tifa's door for her, a smile on his face. "Good morning, my sweet," he said with a wink, pressing a small kiss to her lips.

Tifa smiled and made to grab her bag, but he beat her to it. "You've never carried my bag for me before," she commented as Denzel and Oren waved before walking off.

Zack shrugged. "That's because you've never let me. Besides, you're pregnant and I don't think you should be carrying anything that's heavy."

"I'm not handicapped," she said as they walked into the building. "I'm having a baby and I'm perfectly capable of doing things on my own."

"But you shouldn't have to when you have a man like me around," he said, patting the tiny bump of her stomach, already into the fourth month. "Besides, junior here doesn't mind, so neither should you."

Tifa just smiled as they walked to get her roster. In the office, they ran into Reeve, who smiled easily and kissed Tifa's knuckles in greeting. "It's a fine day, isn't it?" he asked, noting that the counselor was giving him a frosty look.

"Oh, it is Reeve. Did you enjoy your vacation?" Tifa asked brightly.

"I did. I went to Kalm for a little R&R, and I enjoyed myself immensely. How about you?"

"Well, Yuffie and I went to Wutai for two weeks. Zack caught up to me there," Tifa replied, noticing the tenseness in Zack's shoulders. Geez, was he getting jealous _again_? "It was nice seeing you, Reeve, but I have to get to my classroom to get ready," she said, giving him a smile.

"Yeah, you shouldn't be on your feet too long," Zack commented, finally saying something.

"Why is that?" Reeve asked curiously.

"Because she's having my baby," Zack replied smugly, noting that several other people in the office had heard him.

Reeve placed a smile on his face that Zack couldn't tell if it was forced or not. It looked pretty genuine. "Well, congratulations to the both of you. A baby is a blessing. Take care of yourself Tifa, and I hope we see each other more often," he said before stepping out of the office.

Tifa and Zack followed, but they walked towards a different direction from which the other man had gone. "I wonder if Aerith will be coming back at all. From what Seph told me, she should be okay to work again," he commented.

"I can't believe you did that," Tifa said in annoyance, ignoring his comment, but curious now that he mentioned it.

"Did what?" he asked with a frown.

"What you did in the office just now. You did that to show Reeve that I belong to you, and I didn't like it," said Tifa seriously.

"I don't see anything wrong with telling this Reeve person that you're having my baby. And I wasn't trying to tell him that you belong to me. Tifa, I love you and the more people know that, the better. I'm not staking my claim or anything, but it's best that they find out now," he defended.

"You're telling me that you _weren't _jealous of Reeve back there?" she asked as she stopped and looked at him with a penetrating gaze. When he refused to answer, she let out a sigh. "Zack, I love you too, but you need to stop with all of this jealousy. First Cloud and now Reeve. I understand that you were right the last time, but you have to stop and realize that what they feel doesn't matter. What _I _feel matters. I don't want any of them. I want you," she said before walking off ahead of him.

"Teef, I'm sorry. I'm trying to get over this stupid insecurity thing, but sometimes I just can't help it," he said as he followed her into her classroom. He stopped her as she grabbed a marker and went to write on the white board.

She turned to look at him with love and anger burning in her eyes. "I love _you_. I'm having _your_ baby. I'm moving into _your_ home. _You_ have to work on these jealousy issues for _me_. Otherwise we won't work, even with a baby in common, and you have no idea how much I want this to work," she said fervently.

Zack took her face in his hands and kissed her. "I'm sorry," he pleaded.

Tifa nodded and wrapped her arms around him, pressing their baby between them gently. "I don't want you to feel insecure when it comes to me. I would never do anything to hurt you or to make you doubt my feelings for you," she murmured against his shoulder.

He ran his fingers through her silky hair and nodded. Then he remembered something and moved her back so that he could look her in the eyes. "You'll move in with me? How did Denzel take it?"

His question prompted a frown on Tifa's face. "Strangely enough, he didn't argue. He says that he would've kicked up a fuss had we tried moving him out of the city or the country, but he's okay with us moving in with you," she said with a faint smile.

Zack hugged her and lifted her straight off of the ground as she let out a laugh and hugged him back. "You have no idea how happy you make me," he said before kissing her soundly and setting her back on her feet.

"Maybe I do," she said in a teasing tone, right before the first bell rang. "Now run along and go do your job. You've already taken up too much of my time," she said with a smirk.

He slapped her bottom and grinned when she glared at him. "Take care of junior for me, and I'll see you both at lunch," he said before winking and blowing her a kiss. Then he was out the door, more cheerful than he had ever remembered being.

……………

Cloud was seriously thinking about quitting his job and finding something else to do. It wasn't that he didn't like what he was doing anymore. It was just that he was disappointed with his life in general. In a few weeks, he would be officially divorced for a second time. The process had been quick because he and Aerith had come to an agreement where neither would argue anything. They had signed a pre-nup in which they both kept what they had earned and wouldn't have to split anything. Aerith had kept their home, but Cloud suspected that she would stay with her son for as long as she possibly could.

He also had to remind himself to thank Tifa for sending Denzel to spend a few weeks with him. Even Yuffie's boy had been great help in cheering him up a bit. They had spent time barbequing, watching movies, playing video games, and even talking over their morning coffees. Cloud didn't know what he would've done without his son, and he was once more confronted with the guilt at having hurt both him and Tifa. Well, he was certainly paying for all he had done, just like Aerith. He was so busy feeling sorry for himself that as he rounded a corner, something small hurtled into his arms and they both ended up on the floor. He stared into a pair of toffee colored eyes and blinked in surprise.

"Crap, sorry!" she said quickly, getting off of him and in the process pushing all of the air out of his lungs. "That's my fault, I wasn't watching where I was going," she said with an embarrassed grin.

Cloud dusted himself off and just waved her apologies away. "It's alright. I wasn't watching where I was going either, so we're even… Are you a teacher here? I don't think I've seen you before," he commented, taking in her long, reddish-brown hair, and the square-rimmed glasses that hadn't fallen off of her nose. She was pretty in a very casual sort of way.

The woman smiled and offered her hand. "My name is Jessie, and yes, I'm new here. I just had so much paperwork to fill out that I think I'm going to be late in finding my classroom," she muttered to herself, gathering the papers that had been knocked out of her hands in their collision. God, she felt like such a nerd, and in front of a very handsome man to make matters worse.

Cloud offered a small smile. "Where are you headed? Maybe I can help," he offered, noticing the little blush on her cheeks.

"Well, I should be in the Arts and Sciences building. I'm going to be teaching a class on technology. They're going to see if it works out and if the students like it, otherwise they'll just stick me with computer basics or something similar," she rambled.

Cloud just nodded and motioned towards the end of the hall. "Just keep walking until you're out that door and the building is right outside," he said.

Jessie smiled gratefully and made to walk away. "Thanks a bunch. I think I would've gotten lost if it hadn't been for you. You're officially my hero now," she said, waving before she was off. Cloud just smiled to himself and made towards his classroom. Well, his day was certainly looking up.

…………………

Yuffie sighed to herself as the bell rang and she dismissed her students. She stood and made for the door, catching her son right before he left as well. She gave him a look and he stopped trying to avoid her touch and stayed put. Once all the kids were gone and their break started before class, Yuffie let out a sigh. "You're not even going to greet me anymore?" she asked him quietly. Yuffie let out a sigh of frustration. "Look at me, Oren," she said angrily.

"I have places to be," he muttered, eyes meeting hers for a moment before he looked away once more.

Yuffie's eyes narrowed. "I don't care," she spat, noticing that he looked a little shocked at her response. They had never spoken to each other in this way, not even when they'd had their little disagreements about his room, or his clothes, or sometimes even his outlook on life and other people. "I'm tired Oren, and whether you like it or not at this moment, I am your mother and Vincent is your father, even if you don't care for him much at the moment either. I love you. You are my son and I have raised you all of these years on my own with no one to help but Tifa. And because I have raised you on my own, I have a right to demand respect from you. I've had enough of this situation and I want you back home by the end of the week. No arguments," she said seriously.

Oren knew better than to argue. After all even though he said one thing, he respected his mother for her strength and her force of will. He let out a sigh and shrugged. "Fine. I'll start packing my things and I'll be home on Saturday," he said, moving towards the door once more. Her voice halted him once more.

"I love you, and I love your father. You may hate me now, but all I have ever wanted is to have you and Vincent at my side. My father made sure to ruin that for me, but I don't think it's too late to take the happiness that fate is handing to me now. I'm sorry that Vincent's wife was hurt in all of this, but she never would've cheated on him if she had truly loved him. I would've stayed away and you know this," said Yuffie, letting out a long, heavy breath.

Oren nodded once but didn't turn to look at her again. "For the record, I don't hate you or my father," he said before he walked out the door. He needed time to think. He _did_ want his mother to be happy, but the way his parents had gone about being together had not been the best. Still, he realized he had no right to judge her. He just needed time to get used to the idea that his father was back in their lives. Oren just hoped that Vincent appreciated his mother this time.

……………

Tifa tried to ignore the movement of Zack's leg as they sat in the doctor's office, waiting to be called in. He had told her that waiting in any type of medical places, be it hospitals, clinics, or pharmacies usually put his patience on end. She remembered quite clearly how he had been during Denzel's stay in the hospital all those months ago after his accident. She had seen Zack pace and bite his nails more than once.

"Ms. Lockhart?" asked a woman from the door.

"Yes," she said, standing and pulling Zack along by the hand. "Will you stop biting your nails, please? It's a terribly nasty habit," she muttered.

Zack shrugged. "If appointments in general didn't take so long, my nails would be okay, and I wouldn't have such a nasty habit," he said snidely.

Tifa bit back an irritated retort because she realized that he was nervous because he was a first time father. But she was nervous too, even when Denzel was almost seventeen years old, she was starting over with a new baby. It was like being a first time mother all over again. Today they would get to see their baby for the first time, and she just couldn't wait. Ultrasounds were far more advanced than they had been back when she had been expecting Denzel. She patted her baby bump and smiled when she felt movement. She was already into her fifth month and as she had predicted, the entire school knew of their involvement now, and about the baby. The past month had been a calm one, and Denzel and she had begun the process of packing to move in with Zack.

They had waited a month while Zack insisted on having one his guest rooms painted for Denzel, and that also gave him the time to clear out some things for what would be his and Tifa's from now on. His backyard was more than enough space for Bug and Buster, and he had had his pool fenced for the baby that was on the way. Too bad for buster because Zack knew that the mutt liked to take a swim on particularly hot days. All the new things he was adding to his home did very little in denting his pocket. He wasn't super rich either, but after Soldier and coming from a respectable family with money, he would be able to live well for years, maybe even his kid would be able to live comfortably as well. He worked because he wanted to, felt the need to do something with his time and there was nothing better than helping future generations and steering them into the right paths. As they stepped into a room, Zack took a moment to look around and to take a few deep breaths.

"Now, I'm going to have you change into this gown and then wait on the bed for the doctor to come in check on you. She'll be giving you the ultrasound," said the woman before she walked out the door.

Tifa sighed and pulled off her top cheeks warming at the way Zack was looking at her. "Stop looking at me like that. I'm not feeling particularly fabulous today," she muttered. And it was true. All she had wanted to do for the last few days was lay in bed and eat cookie-dough ice cream with strawberries. But alas, she had a job to do and she wouldn't be able to get her maternity leave until she had reached eight months into her pregnancy. Well, three months to go, she mused.

Zack walked over and moved warm fingers over the stretched skin of her stomach. "Well, you should know that you're always beautiful. Even when you wake up in the mornings with bed-hair," he said with a smirk.

Tifa let out a laugh and kissed his jaw before pulling on the gown and having him tie it behind her back before she removed her stretchy jeans. Then he helped her take a seat and they waited for the doctor. Zack seemed to be more calm, but he still looked a little shifty still. Tifa wondered if he would remain the same way until the very last of her appointments. The doctor arrived shortly and proceeded to start her check up on Tifa, while Zack tried to make himself as small as possible, which wasn't too easy when he was well over six feet tall. When they finally got around to the ultrasound, he watched in wonder as the doctor moved the machine over Tifa's stomach, which was slick with some type of gooey balm. The sound of a rapid heartbeat filled his ears and he turned to Tifa as she smiled brightly.

"Why is it so fast?" Zack asked in wonder. Tifa was fascinated by the look on Zack's face. It made her all warm inside to see him so happy as he gazed at their baby.

"It's normal," said the doctor kindly. She had always enjoyed new fathers, though she did know that the mother already had a sixteen year old son from another relationship. "The baby is perfectly healthy and… at the right measurements and weight. Would you like to know the sex?"

Tifa looked at Zack and shrugged. "I wouldn't mind," she said. "But if you want it to be a surprise, we don't have to know."

Zack thought about it for a moment as the doctor finished with Tifa's examination and then nodded. "It would make things easier. You know, like finding a name, and what type of clothes we would need to get," he said tentatively.

The brunette smiled and nodded. "Okay. Then yes, we would like to know what we're having," she said.

The doctor returned the smile and printed a picture of the baby for them. "Congratulations to you both, you're having a boy."

Zack's face lit up and he couldn't resist kissing Tifa soundly, even in front of the doctor. "Wow. We're having a boy!" he said happily.

Tifa was happy too, she just couldn't deny that having a little girl had been a little more appealing this time around. But that didn't mean that she loved her baby any less. She was beyond happy and Zack was right, things would be so much easier now that they knew that the baby was a boy. As she dressed once more and then stopped by the front desk for her next appointment, she couldn't help but noticed the dazed look in his eyes. "Are you okay? Do you need me to pinch you, just in case you think this is a dream or something?" she asked as they walked towards his car.

Zack smiled and shook his head. "No, it's just that… it was amazing to see our baby even before he's born." He stopped her before she could get into the passenger seat. "Thank you, for giving me this. Thank you for being the mother of my child."

"You don't have to thank me," she murmured, kissing him gently.

Zack moved away and opened the door of his car for her before walking off to get in too. "We should have some type of house warming thing, now that you're moving in with me. You can invite your friends, and I'll invite mine."

Tifa frowned a little. "Doesn't that usually happen when the home is new? It's new to me and Denzel but not to you."

He shrugged. "Well, we'll just have some type of dinner to invite friends and to celebrate our baby boy. Other than that, I've been thinking about setting up Seph with Aerith for some time. He says that he's not interested, but I've been by his place a few times, and I've seen the way he looks at her."

Tifa smirked. "Playing cupid, my big, bad SOLDIER?" she asked, noticing his mischievous grin. "Well, you'll be happy to know that they're on civil terms right now, even after all the kissing and such, but we need to stay out. If it's meant to be between them, they will work it out on their own," she said wisely.

Zack thought about it and finally nodded. "I guess you're right. Seph wouldn't take kindly to me butting into his love-hate relationship with the mother of his kid. It's just… he's my brother and I want him to be happy, but ever since she walked out of his life, he turned into this ice version of himself. Even if he denies it, having her nearby is helping him heal."

Tifa smiled and felt her heart warm once more at how much Zack cared about Sephiroth. She did remember the other man being a little more social back when they had dated, but the years changed people. She wanted Sephiroth and Aerith to be happy too. "What do you propose we do to get them together?" Tifa asked with a wink.

…………………

The housewarming party happened almost more than a month later. They had taken about two weeks to get completely settled in, and another week to invite their friends. After that, Tifa had used the next week to prepare all the things they would need and to have Yuffie and an old friend of hers help with the cooking. She felt bad though, that Zack had reluctantly told her that she could invite Cloud, but that her ex-husband knew that he wouldn't be too comfortable, so he had declined her invitation.

"How do I look?" Tifa asked, twirling in the stylish maternity dress that Zack had bought for her only a few days before. It was made of a smooth silk and the color of the sea. It had a sash right bellow her bosom and the material reached her knees and was loose enough for her to wear until her very last month of pregnancy. She had brushed her hair until it was smooth and shiny, and she looked absolutely beautiful.

Zack walked over to her as he finished buttoning the dress shirt that matched her eyes and pressed a kiss to the side of her jaw. "You look more and more beautiful each day. You don't even have to ask," he said lightly.

Tifa smiled and pulled on a couple of bracelets before slipping into her flat shoes and walking outside to check on the dining room, which had been set up by Shera, her old friend from college. She didn't teach at the school, but she had been studying to become some type of rocket scientist. She had succeeded in her career and was now one of the most renown women in the country's space department. She had married one of the pilots of the space department as well, and had only recently left Junon to come live in Edge. They had kept in touch through letters, but nothing could compare to seeing her friend once more. She and Yuffie would return with their significant others in a matter of minutes, after helping her cook and set everything up for their guests. Tifa put Bug and Buster in the backyard and smiled at the whines that reached her ears as she closed the door. She rubbed a particularly itchy spot on her stretched stomach and walked to get the front door when the doorbell rang.

………

"Why is it a house warming party if they didn't move into a new house?"

Aerith looked at her son and refrained from rolling her eyes. "It _is_ a new home for Denzel and Tifa, so in a sense the party is for them. But we're also celebrating the baby that's on the way."

"Then why didn't she just turn this into a baby shower?" Kadaj questioned once more.

"Why don't you stop asking unnecessary questions?" asked Sephiroth in annoyance.

They had a glaring contest that was interrupted by Aerith stepping between them. She turned to Sephiroth and adjusted his tie before he could even get a word of protest out. She tightened his tie to the point of near suffocation and gave him a look before setting it at a more normal grip around his neck. "You're supposed to be encouraging him to express himself. Not antagonizing him," she said in a soft tone.

"Having his mother back doesn't mean that you and I will allow him to get away with anything. Even mouthing off whenever he desires. That is not how _I _raised him," Sephiroth challenged, noticing the smug look on his brat's face.

It was Aerith's turn to glare, she wouldn't begrudge him that. She had walked away and left them both to fend for themselves; no amount of regrets and apologies would change that, but she wouldn't allow Sephiroth to just step over Kadaj in order to prove that he was the authority figure. Her eyes left his as she smoothed his tie and coat and ran her hands down his hard chest, blushing a little. "_You_ mouth off whenever _you_ please. Where do you think he got it from?" she asked finally, moving towards the door, her eyes still on Sephiroth.

Kadaj made a face and walked off to ring the doorbell. He really wasn't up to seeing his parents all googly-eyed for each other. At least not yet. But he couldn't deny that having a mom around was better than he had expected and he found that he didn't want her to leave their home any time soon. Tifa answered the door and gave him a bright smile. "Hello, Kadaj, how are you?"

"Fine, thank you," he replied, stepping into the house when she opened the door wider. He turned and caught his parents still giving each other a look before they began to walk over as well. He rolled his eyes and walked off to inspect the house a little.

Tifa looked at Aerith and then at Sephiroth, who was readjusting his tie. "Hey guys!" she said happily.

"Look at you, so round and glowing," said Aerith, rubbing Tifa's stomach gently before they shared a hug. "You look so pretty. Maternity suits you," she complimented.

Sephiroth pressed a kiss to her cheek and greeted her before moving on towards Zack, who had just walked out of their room, followed by Denzel. Before Tifa could even close the door, Vincent, Yuffie, and Oren arrived and the greeting started all over. Tifa took Aerith and Yuffie aside and made sure that Sephiroth was within listening distance. "You know Yuffie, I think it would be a good idea to set Aerith up with Reno," she said, eyes darting towards Zack, who winked at her.

Aerith's jade eyes grew wide and she flushed a bright red. "I don't think so. Did you forget that Reno and I tried it back when we were in sixth grade? Things didn't work out and he ended up with a bleeding nose when he tried to get fresh," she said, and they all broke into giggles.

"Well, I can tell you that he's a _very_ different man now," Yuffie said with a suggestive tone. She rolled her eyes when she heard Vincent clear his throat. "Though I do recommend him."

Aerith looked up and caught Sephiroth's eyes. She looked at away and caught Tifa's eyes in the process. The dark-brunette was looking at her in question, having caught the look she and the silver-haired man had shared. Zack walked over to get the door, and four people were standing there. Marlene, Barret, Shera, and her husband Cid. He welcomed them all in and they all walked over to greet Tifa. Shera grinned and moved with her husband towards Tifa. "Look Tifa, this is my husband. He's _Captain _Cid Highwind," she said proudly.

Tifa smiled. "It's nice to meet you finally. Are you taking good care of my friend?"

Cid shook her hand and nodded. "As long as she knows how to make any type of goddamned tea, we'll always be happy," he said with a smirk.

A while later, Tseng and Elena arrived a little late along with their son, but Zack and Tifa's plans were foiled when Reno called to tell them that he wouldn't be able to make it. Tifa wouldn't be surprised if a chance at getting laid had presented itself and Reno had taken it. Oh well, they would have to find another way of making Sephiroth jealous. As they all sat at the table, the women had insisted on Tifa staying off of her feet while they would bring the food out. After a delicious dinner which consisted of Wutai, Junon, and Corel plates, they all sat in comfortable companionship. Some of them hadn't met each other before that day, and they all began to share old stories and anecdotes about their younger years and their significant others.

Zack set down his drink and motioned for Tifa to follow him. She excused herself and walked with him down the hallway that led towards the bedrooms. Denzel had been thankful that he had been given the room towards the back of the house, a good distance away from their room, and with a bathroom in between. In front of his and Tifa's room, there was a door that had remained locked since Tifa had moved in, and she hadn't been allowed inside, since Zack said that all he had in there was clutter that he didn't want her to see. Well, it had been a lie, but now he was ready to tell her what the big secret was. He unlocked the door and turned to look at her expression as he opened the door and turned on the lights.

Tifa's eyes widened when the room was bathed in light from the whimsical lamps sitting by the drawer and one by a table next to the window. The walls had white and blue wallpaper with little dancing moogles, chocobos, and what looked to be rabbits and bears. The furniture was all white and the carpet was blue. The curtains were white and blue and in the center of it all, there was a white rocking chair with a stuffed moogle sitting in the center of it. Tifa looked at it curiously and saw that the toy was holding a box in its fat paws. "Do you like it?" he asked, a little smile on his face at the expression on hers.

"Oh, Zack, it's all so beautiful," she breathed, taking in the crib and the bassinet as she walked towards the rocking chair and the moogle holding the box. "Why didn't you tell me you were doing this? You have no idea how many times I tried to pick the lock of this door. I never even realized that you were doing this in here."

Zack grinned. "Well, I had a designer take care of it. They would come in while we were at school, and Aerith helped, since she's the only person who really had nothing else to do during the day. She took care that no one robbed us silly while we weren't here. I wanted this all to be a surprise for you and our baby. Did you like the surprise?"

Tifa nodded. "I love it, and I'm sure that our baby will too." She grabbed the little box that the moogle was holding and inside there was a velvet _ring_ box. She sucked in a soft breath and looked inside, her mouth falling open. When she turned to look at Zack, she found him behind her, on one knee.

He took the ring from her, eyes intent on her face as her eyes lit up in happiness. "Tifa, I realized that at all the baby appointments, they call you Ms. Lockhart and I realized that I want them to call you Mrs. Fair from now on. Will you be my wife?" Zack asked her seriously.

Tifa smiled and nodded, feeling the tears coming, but holding them back as best she could. "Of course. Of course I'll marry you," she murmured as he took the ring—a silver band with a diamond and red rubies at its side—and slipped it onto her ring finger. He stood and pulled her into an ardent kiss, cupping her face in his hands as the tears came. After holding her for a long while, rubbing her back to get her to calm down, he wiped away her tears and made sure that she was okay before they walked back to their guests. Tifa called the women over and they walked into the kitchen to get dessert.

All the men looked up when there was the sound of various exaggerated screams and Barret and Vincent made for the kitchen in worry. "Take a seat guys. I asked Tifa to marry me," said Zack. "There's no danger. I think Tifa just showed them the ring," he said nonchalantly.

The men sat back down in understanding. They all knew that women tended to overreact about anything and everything. "You are one brave man," Cid stated as Zack popped open another bottle of wine and poured them all another glass.

"Don't I know it," said Zack with a grin, sharing a smirk with Sephiroth.

…

…

…

…

…

…

Ha, how was that? I really liked this chapter, don't ask me why, but I liked Seph and Aerith's interaction as well as Zack's proposal. Anyone else liked it? Up next there's more AerithSeph, and more VinceYuffie, so be patient. I don't know much about vacations at private schools, but public schools around where I live give the students two months of vacation and such, though if anyone would happen to know, please feel free to let me know. Also, is the sex of the baby visible at five months? Dunno, but I was too much of a lazy bum to research it before writing the chapter. Moving on, I won't be going into the CloudJessie pairing because I have enough on my plate as of this moment, so I'll only mention them in passing. I _did _read up on Jessie, or the little info there is about her, and I know that she was portrayed as a kind and mothering type of girl who had a crush on Cloud during the game.

Hey, another thing. If you guys are total perves, like me, and I know you are, check out this fic: **When Life Gives You Lemons: An Anthology**, by TionneDawnstar. She writes lemon fics on the pairings that you vote the most for, and I've asked her for a ZackTifa one, but no one else votes for them, so she goes for the pairing with the most votes. I don't mind, but I would like to see one focused solely on our couple, or if you want another pairing, vote for it too. Whatever you guys wish to do is fine.

Anyway, I want to thank you all for the reviews last chapter, if I don't reply please don't think it's because I don't want to, it's just that sometimes I only have time to write and then update, I wish I could reply to every single person who comments. Also, about baby names, those of you who gave suggestions, thanks, I'm still indecisive and I've been to the baby name website but there's just so many and the ones I've seen don't go with the last name Fair… But still, thanks a bunch!

Joey

P.S. Someone asked me a while ago if they could call me Joey instead of my penname, and yes, that's fine. It just occurred to me and that question was made months ago I think. Sorry! If you want to call me Joey, I'm completely okay with that. See you around people! And please forget the typos and grammar errors…


	17. Life

**Warning: **Adult content towards the middle, and not the pairing you think!

………………………………

**Life**

………………………………

Tifa grimaced to herself as she flipped through various channels of the TV. Really, what was the point of having over five hundred channels when none of them were playing anything good? She had already watched the baby channel for hours and had finally gotten bored. Sports weren't her favorite, and her soaps didn't come on until the next hour. Already entering her eight month, she had been given her maternity leave and she was enjoying her off time, though her only company consisted of Buster and Bug.

Buster was curled up next to her on the couch, but it was getting too warm with the thick fur of the huge dog. She struggled to stand and wished that either Zack or Denzel had been around. It had gotten increasingly harder and harder to get up from any couch in their home. She walked into the kitchen to grab a popsicle from the fridge and then walked off to look at the nursery, as she was prone to do at least ten times a day. The room was beautiful and after their dinner with friends a few months ago, she had showed it to her friends after the screaming fit they had had in the kitchen over her ring. Even Marlene had been excited to know that they were getting married. Tifa adored the girl and was happy that she and Denzel were still together, though she was a bit worried about him leaving his homework for last when it came to his girlfriend.

Her son would soon finish his junior year, and shortly would begin his senior year in school. Tifa couldn't express how happy she was with her sons. One was almost an adult man, and the other was barely even coming into the world. Zack was like all first time fathers. Every little thing that involved the baby amazed him. The look on his face the first time their son had hiccupped had been one she would never forget, nor the first time they had felt him kick. Though she wasn't looking forward to her upcoming labor, she was looking forward to holding her baby in her arms.

She was happy, even with the ups and downs of living with a partner again. Her hormones were crazy at times, but Zack put up with it most of the time because he tried to understand what she was going through. He had been an incredibly amazing man from the moment she had met him, and he hadn't changed. She loved every bit of him, even the bad bits. Like the ones who left the nearly empty cartons of milk in the fridge, or when he left newspapers in random places around the house. There were few, but he was good man and he took great care of her. He got along greatly with Denzel, and both were like teens when it came to new video games they had both been expecting, and when it came down to junk food. It was a miracle that neither of her _boys_ had gained fat bellies with all the junk food they inhaled over the weekends.

Aside from her family being happy, Tifa felt her heart at ease when she thought of her friends. Yuffie, though her situation with Oren was still tense, had Vincent at her side. His divorce was close to being resolved, though Lucrecia had tried to place a few roadblocks here and there regarding the money they had made together, and their homes. Tifa just hoped that things were over quickly for them, because so far, her best friend had showed a great amount of restraint and had refrained from sleeping with the man she had been in love with for years. Moving on to Cloud, Tifa had gone to lunch with him only a few days before; though Zack hadn't been too happy, he hadn't kicked up a fuss either. They had had a friendly chat about how he was doing in her old home, which he had decided to lease from her, and would eventually buy, and about the new woman in his life. He had been largely embarrassed and shy when it came to this Jessie person, but he seemed to like her. She was around their age, fun, and she called him her personal hero. Tifa was glad to see him smile more now, and she really did hope that he managed to attain as much happiness as she had.

As Tifa rubbed at her kicking belly, she heard the mailman and walked off to get her mail from the box sitting by the doorbell outside. Bug and Buster ran out, almost knocking her off her feet, and Tifa was glad that the gate was already closed, lest they run off and to the street. As she checked her mail, she waved at the neighbor, who was watering her garden and made her way back inside. She looked through the junk mail, the bills, and then came across Denzel's progress report. She opened it and felt her eyes narrow at what she saw. She and her boy would have a very serious conversation when he got home.

…………

"I just can't believe your class managed to make the whole room explode. It's a good thing no one was hurt," Zack said as he and Denzel walked into his home, Bug and Buster running in with them.

"It wasn't the _whole _class. It was _all_ Gavin's fault. He was fooling around with the chemicals, and then the teacher saw what he was doing and told us to duck just in time. It smelled like rotten eggs," said Denzel, making a face and dropping his backpack onto the table.

Zack just chuckled and looked up when Tifa walked out of the kitchen. He smiled when he spotted some powdery substance on her cheeks. "Hello, my loves," he said, kissing her gently and rubbing the place where their son was still growing.

"Hey guys. How was school?" Tifa asked.

"Gavin blew up our science class," Denzel said with a smirk.

"Was anyone hurt?" Tifa asked in worry.

The teen shook his head. "No, but the people closest to Gavin stunk like rotten egg. I'm just glad me and Oren were sitting by the door and we got out quick when it happened. What were you doing in the kitchen?"

"I was making some pretzels. I had a craving and I'm happy to say that I learned how to make them myself, thanks to that snacks recipe book Aerith gave to me a few months ago." She looked at her son and gave him a look. "Take a seat Denzel, there's something we need to talk about," she said seriously.

Zack looked from her serious face to Denzel's wide eyed look. "Should I leave you two alone?" he asked.

"Why don't you try one of the pretzels? They're fresh right now," said Tifa with a thankful smile. She admired how Zack knew what to leave alone. Thankfully, there had been no more bouts of jealousy, even when the women had thrown her a baby shower the month before and Yuffie had invited Reeve. Zack had acted like the adult that she knew he could be. Reeve was a sweetheart and he had given her son a version of his Cait Sith, but it was just a plush that hopefully her son would love once he was old enough to understand.

"What's going on?" Denzel asked as he sat down and Zack walked off to the kitchen.

"I got your progress report today," said Tifa, hoping that he understood what she was getting at. "I'm not happy with what I saw."

"Mom…"

"Let me talk Denzel, and listen. We agreed that having a girlfriend and going out with your friends every weekend wouldn't interfere with your school work. You've always had straight A's, what's going on? You have three C's and two B's. Is there something going on that's making you lose your concentration in school? Are you doing drugs? Having sex? Both?"

"No!" Denzel exclaimed, cheeks burning red. "It's just… well, I don't know. School has gotten a bit… boring."

"Denzel, this is your education! If you don't have this, you have nothing. What will you be in life? What will you do? Do you think Marlene wants a bum at her side? Because I for one am not going to let you sponge off of me when you're a very capable young man. You're smart and you have your whole future in front of you, don't waste it and don't disappoint me," Tifa said seriously. Her eyes were hard but reflected the love she felt for her son. She wanted what was best for him, and if she had to deprive him of some of his freedom to do it, well, she would.

"Mom," he said in a whiny tone. "What's the big deal? I'm passing my classes. Why can't they stay average?"

"Because I didn't raise you to be average, Denzel. You've always been a very smart boy and you've never had grades this low. You either fix them, or you say goodbye to Marlene. As it is, you'll be grounded for the next month, until I get another progress report from your teachers that your grades are up to normal," she said.

"But that's not fair! I'm passing, why can't you just leave it alone?" Denzel snapped, raising his voice.

"Lower your tone with me, Denzel. I think I've made myself clear. Bring me another progress report in a month, and your privileges of going out with your friends and girlfriend will be restored," Tifa told him in the same controlled tone. "Now, go to your room and work on your homework and on any other assignment that can get your grades up."

Denzel scowled and snatched up his backpack before marching to his room and slamming the door shut. Tifa sighed to herself and tried to calm her nerves. She'd been through other arguments with her son before, but never because of his grades. She wanted him to fix things before it was too late. He had always been good at school, even with his friends as a great distraction, but never to the point that his grades had lowered. She wouldn't have been able to call herself a good mother if she had looked the other way in this. Zack walked into the living room and took a seat next to her, munching on a pretzel. He gave her a tentative look and wondered if she would bite his head of if he gave his opinion.

"You're going to be my husband. Might as well tell me what you think," Tifa said, snatching a piece of the snack from him. "I know you were listening."

Zack sighed. "Just a question. You don't think grounding him for a month was a little too much?"

Tifa shook her head. "The year is almost over. He can't finish with his grades this low after he's had all straight A's. He's my responsibility until he turns eighteen, and that is why I will do all that I can to make him into a responsible man. He'll do what I tell him to until he's a legal adult. I won't take back his punishment," she said with conviction.

"You're such a hot momma," said Zack, leaning forward to kiss her on the nose. "But I do agree with you in most of this. Denzel is a good kid. He's just let his friends and girlfriend distract him a little. You'll see that he'll get his butt in gear soon enough. After all, _you_ raised him and you did a good job at it."

A smile lit Tifa's face at his words. "See, that's why I love you. You always know the perfect things to say," she murmured, leaning forward to give him a small kiss.

"Ha, I wasn't always this eloquent," Zack said with a grin.

Tifa laughed and nodded. "I know," she said, watching his eyes narrow in amusement. "Come on and help me make more pretzels. I just hope they don't come out lopsided the way your pizza did last week."

"Don't mock my baking skills," he said with a chuckle. "Because I remember a certain case of burnt apple pie a few weeks back."

"That was your fault and you know it," Tifa grumbled before they began to prepare more ingredients.

"Sure it was honey," he said, kissing her cheek. He let it go. The last thing he wanted was a run-in with Tifa's unbalanced hormones. He sighed. He couldn't wait for their baby to be born.

…………

There was nothing like the laughter of children. Never mind that the child Aerith was watching happened to be a young man now. She smiled to herself as she watched her son having some type of pool party with his new and old friends. After much cajoling on her part to Tifa, her pregnant friend had allowed Denzel one day off, since he had been grounded for nearly two weeks already. Now, many teens were swimming in the indoor pool that Sephiroth owned, and they were having fun. Aerith was proud to see that her boy smiled more often now, and that their relationship was semi-normal. Sephiroth seemed disgruntled by her at times, and she got the vibe that he wanted her to leave, after all, her stay had been too extended, and she had almost healed completely from her injuries. All that was left now were scars and the random aches and pains.

She turned away from one of the kitchen windows, which looked into the pool room, and walked off into the living room. Sephiroth was there, reading a book on meteors and she wondered why he liked ancient history so much. Of course, she loved to read about old plants, but plants and rocks were completely different. She voiced her question before thinking it through. "Do you want me to leave?"

"Pardon?" Sephiroth asked, looking up at her in question.

"I've been here for months. Do you want me to leave your home?" Aerith asked, running her fingers through the tips of her long braid.

"Kadaj has been better with you close by," Sephiroth replied simply.

"I asked _you_ if you wanted me to leave," she said.

"My opinion doesn't matter in this case. It's all about Kadaj," he said, standing and placing his book on the coffee table.

Aerith closed the space between them and looked up into his eyes. "I've been here for many months already, but you don't seem to want to even look at me, even when we sit at the table together. I'm… I'm trying to be a better person. For Kadaj… and for you," she said quietly, searching for any type of emotion in his eyes. But there was none. Sephiroth had been a most revered General in SOLDIER, he had learned to school his feelings and emotions quite well.

"Why would you try for me? You're not going to tell me that now that you have an _ex_-husband, you've realized that you're in love with me," he said with a sardonic little smirk.

Aerith mirrored his expression. "No. I'm not in love with you, and I don't think you are with me. But it would be nice to start over," she said with a little shrug. "Unless you don't want me to be near you in any other sense. Just tell me now and I will move out, and I'll care for my son as much as he'll allow me on my own."

Sephiroth watched her eyes as she looked away and tried to stop himself from speaking, from feeling, from wondering what it would be like to touch her and hold her again, not including the random kisses they had shared in the last year. Even now he didn't have a clear idea as to what had drawn him to her in the first place. She was a different person than she had been when she had left him and Kadaj behind. She had been full of life, spoiled, and completely carefree. Now she was older, more mature and capable of thinking of others before herself. What was keeping him from giving her a second chance? He didn't know. He also didn't know what to expect of her now. All that he knew was that he wanted to kiss her, but that he didn't know if it would be wise to do so now.

Aerith let out a heavy sigh and nodded. "I'll be in my room, packing." She walked away quickly. She didn't know it, but her thoughts had been the same of his. She hadn't known what to expect from him after her words, but some part of her had hoped that he would give her a chance to show him that she wasn't the same selfish person as years before. Just as she shut her door to her room, there was a soft knock. She felt her heart skip a beat and she opened the door, letting out a startled gasp when he moved in and pressed a kiss to her lips. Her brain literally melted in that instant, and she curled her fingers into his impossibly silky hair. There were no thoughts in her head, chastising her for letting go this way, or telling her just how easy she was being. In that one moment, she forgot everything but the feel of his lips and his taste. There was no memory of Cloud, or the constant pain that came with knowing that some part of Kadaj would never forgive her for what she did, even if he ever started to call her 'mom'. She wanted to forget in Sephiroth's arms and had no thought for the consequences afterwards.

Sephiroth took in her scent and pulled at the pink ribbon in her hair, discarding it carelessly and running his own hands through the smooth silkiness. Everything about her was smooth and soft, and he couldn't really remember the last woman he had been with. Aerith had been the most serious relationship he had ever had, and after she had left, no woman had ever again stepped foot in his home, or had been in his presence for more than one date and one screw. The dates were usually only a pretense for what he had been really looking to get from them. He sighed to himself and cupped her face with one hand, the other holding her head to his, their foreheads pressed together. "Do you really regret what you did?" he muttered, lips a breath apart.

Aerith opened her tightly shut eyes and stared into his, admiring the hint of yellow in his green eyes. She had always loved his eyes. "I regret it every single day. But I won't apologize for it anymore. I'm working on making things better, instead of uttering empty words. I can't take it all back, but I can help build a better future for our son."

Her reply was enough for him. He kissed her again and she didn't stop him, or his hands as they gently slipped open each of the buttons of her dress. Okay, so maybe starting their relationship with sex again wasn't the best way to do it, but her brain was back to mush as his lips slid over her exposed neck and over the tops of her breasts. She had forgotten how good Sephiroth had been at making her body hum. He touched her as if she would break at any moment, or maybe disappear the way she had all those years ago. As he maneuvered her to her bed and discarded most of her clothes, Aerith realized that in some part of him, Sephiroth would always wonder if she would run out on him again. That was why he had avoided answering her question of starting over. She pushed down the tears and realized that now would be the worst moment of all to start crying and to get emotional.

Then he was nude and above her, and she couldn't even recall how long it had been since they had been talking downstairs, her asking him if he wanted her to leave. Aerith let out a shaky breath when his lips brushed over her throat and collarbone again. She kissed him again, her fingers digging into his biceps as he eased into her body slowly, a choked noise in his throat. She was surrounded by curtains of his sweet smelling hair; and in that moment she could admit that she had always been jealous of his hair, as many others surely were. Except that he was clearing her mind of any thoughts of his hair or anything else, once more. She had never thought that she would be in his arms again. In her heart, she had always thought that Cloud was the love of her life, but if he had been, or still was, why wasn't she torn up because of their divorce? It did hurt, but not as much as she had expected. Living with Sephiroth and watching his little eccentricities and his private life, even when he thought she wasn't looking, had made her see that there was so much about him that she still didn't know.

Her breath left her in a shaky sigh as he began to move, easing the ache inside her at his intrusion. After all, it had been months since she had last been with someone. His movements were strong and sure, pushing her slowly towards the razor edge that she needed almost desperately thanks to his touch. He was tall, much taller than her, and he had to prop himself on his elbows in order to not crush her with his chest, but he still managed to press himself to her and touch and kiss every necessary spot. "God," she gasped out, nails digging into his shoulder blades as his movements increased in speed.

As her voice rose in pitch, Sephiroth grunted against her neck, his body filled with need for her, to prove that if she would be with him, she would be his for the rest of her life. If she wanted a chance with him, that much had to be clear. If she betrayed his trust once more, there would be hell to pay, but for now she was in his arms, and he would allow her into his life once more. What he was doing to her now was claiming her as his, even if she didn't know it. He wouldn't tell her, that much was sure, but he would make her feel it. Besides, this moment had been building from the day she had moved in with him and Kadaj. And he was quite pleased at her reaction at the end of it all. The way she arched back, her graceful neck exposed, the way her cheeks colored, but especially how she called his name. Then his own breathing increased and he surrendered the control he had been exerting since he had first kissed her. He swore he saw all white, and for a moment, all he could hear was the sound of their quick breathing, and the scent of him on her body.

Aerith was limp beneath him, eyes shut and trying to regain her breath. Now that her mind was clear and everything came rushing back to her, she didn't know if they had done the best thing possible at the moment. Sure it had felt undeniably good, but… but… they weren't even together. Sephiroth moved off of her and lay down next to her on the bed, his silver hair intermingling with her chestnut hued locks. After a moment, she sat up, her hair cascading down her back to touch the bed.

"I don't think that should've happened," she murmured. "At least not yet," she added as an afterthought. "That just made me feel like I was too easy."

Sephiroth smirked to himself and wiped at the sweat over his chest. They would need a shower before they went back downstairs. "It's not being easy when you screw the father of your son. Besides, we're going to be together now. What's the big deal?"

Aerith turned to him at his words. She looked dubious, but underneath it all, hopeful. "You'll really give me a chance?"

Sephiroth nodded and placed his hands behind his head, not missing the way her eyes swept over his chest and defined muscles. He knew he looked good, but there was nothing like having a beautiful woman look at him the way she was doing. "On one condition," he said in a low tone.

She gave him a questioning look and hoped that it was something she _could_ do. "And what would that be?" she asked.

"That you share a shower with me," he stated, a smirk on his lips.

Aerith huffed and swung her legs off of the bed, hoping that she didn't make a fool of herself if her legs started shaking after what Sephiroth had just done to her. Thankfully, her dignity remained intact as she marched towards her bathroom, not minding her own nudity; since she had kept in shape after all the years as well she didn't feel the need to hide herself. Besides, they were well past that point. "I don't think so," she said with a sniff. "I don't answer very well to _conditions_ of any kind," she said, winking before shutting the door. "Besides, you haven't even taken me to dinner on our first date yet."

Sephiroth heard the distinct sound of the lock before the water started running and he rolled his eyes to himself. He had never been big on hope, or faith, or any of those pink colored emotions. He had always valued discipline, authority, and strength, but now, as he heard the soft melody of Aerith's voice as she sang in the shower, he found that he had room in his cold heart for all of those _pink colored emotions._ He just _hoped _that now that he had let her in, she wouldn't turn around and tear him apart once more.

……………

Zack sighed to himself as he perused the frozen section of the market, searching for Tifa's favorite ice cream. He should've been sleeping by now. Though nine o'clock really was too early, he had been working with the seniors that would soon leave for college at school. During the last few months of the semester, his work became doubled and he was more exhausted by the end of the day. Putting all that aside, Tifa's little pregnancy symptoms were driving him up the wall as of late with all the cleaning, and the little cravings, and her doubts of whether or not they would be good parents. He was the one who needed to worry about that. After all, she had a nearly grown son who had turned out good, and who had been working at fixing his grades. He was a week away from his punishment to be over, and as far as Denzel had told him, he had managed to get his grades up with extra credit assignments.

As Zack ran a hand through his spikes, he vaguely realized that he needed a haircut. He found the ice cream he was looking for and turned to go after grabbing two pints. He wondered if maybe it would be best to buy a whole gallon, but then thought better of it. With the way Tifa was eating it, she would probably eat the whole thing in two days. With the little containers, she had more self control because she wanted them to last as much as she could. This time, when he turned to go, he ran into someone. Green eyes glittered as they met his own blue. He let out a long breath, as he had been prone to do every time she walked into his life. "Hello, Scarlet."

She gave him a heated look. "How is the _little_ woman? Has she popped yet?" she asked darkly.

Zack just cleared his throat. "No. Tifa is fine, thank you for asking. The baby is due in a few weeks," he said, not going into detail. It was none of Scarlet's business. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get going. Tifa is waiting for me."

"Don't you dare blow me off, Zack. I promised you that I wouldn't let you walk out of my life, and I don't care if you're having a kid with that woman," she said quietly.

"I don't have time for you Scarlet. Why can't you just see that I wasn't really in love with you to begin with? Even if you hadn't left me for my friend, we wouldn't have lasted. I would've met her eventually," he said quietly. He would've fallen in love with Tifa either way. She was just that amazing.

"Then I guess I'll just have to do something to get your attention once more, won't I?" she asked ominously.

Zack whirled around to face her and grabbed her by her forearm bringing her nearly nose to nose with him. "If you do anything to hurt her or our child, I _will_ hurt you," he vowed quietly.

"Maybe I won't hurt either of them, but… you are another story," said Scarlet before walking off.

The tall man looked after her in bewilderment and vaguely considered getting a restraining order against her. What was the deal with her? She had never been so damned aggressive before, why was she really being this way now? He just shook his head and walked off to pay for Tifa's snacks. When he arrived, she was pacing their bedroom, frowning to herself.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" he asked in worry, handing over one container of ice cream and a spoon.

Tifa took it and smiled gratefully. "I'm fine. I'm sorry to pile my cravings on you too," she said. He just kissed her and rubbed her stomach. "I was just thinking… I know we agreed that we would get married after the baby was born, since I want to wear a pretty dress and have my shape back. Very vain, I know. But then I started thinking about Denzel. He was born under wedlock, and I wouldn't feel right if our son was born _out_ of wedlock."

Zack hadn't really given that much thought. He hadn't even thought that it was too much of a big deal. "Well, what do you propose we do? Do you want us to get married before you give birth?" he asked as he sat on their bed.

Tifa gave him a sheepish look. "Would that ruin our plans completely?"

He shrugged. "Not if we just get married at City Hall. We can have another ceremony, with the actual party and the other stuff once you have our son," he offered, watching as a smile lit her face. She hugged him and kissed him soundly.

"Have I told you I love you?" she asked brightly.

"Not since your attentions moved to him," Zack said, pointing a finger to her swollen stomach.

Tifa laughed and opened her ice cream, taking in a spoonful of bliss. "When should we go to City Hall then?"

Zack thought about it. "How about on the day the seniors graduate from our school? It's a shortened day and I don't think I'll be required to go in to work," he said. "Seph will have to be my witness, so he'll probably take Aerith and Kadaj with him. Did you know that he finally allowed himself to be with her? Gotta wonder what the kid is thinking about his parents at the moment," he said with a smirk.

Tifa smiled and was happy that Seph and Aerith had found common ground once more. "I hope they're happy," she said, running her fingers through Zack's spikes. "Yuffie will be my witness. So we can include Vincent and Oren. We have to tell Denzel, and he'll probably take Marlene, so we need to invite Barret. Pretty big number for such a small ceremony," said Tifa.

"Why not just invite all the others to dinner afterwards?" Zack asked.

Tifa smiled and nodded. "Sometimes it shocks me how smart you are," she said mischievously.

Zack gave her a mock glare and was happy to know that she would be his wife sooner than planned. After he had proposed to her, they'd had a very long conversation regarding the wedding and when and where it would be. But marrying her in City Hall or having a nice ceremony didn't matter as long as she became Mrs. Zack Fair soon. Besides, he had Scarlet to worry about now, and he didn't want to worry Tifa just yet. He didn't think the other woman would be capable of actually hurting him.

…………………

Tifa looked at herself in the mirror and thanked the deities that she would get a nice ceremony after their City Hall marriage after all. She was huge and a week away from her due date, but at least her baby would be born with Zack's last name already his. Even if they hadn't decided to marry, she knew that her baby would be a Fair. She twirled in front of the mirror and was glad that she had found a nice dress to disguise her baby bump, at least a little. Yuffie had helped style her long hair into waves, and the aqua colored dress somehow brought out her eyes. She looked very pretty and very happy; the smaller woman had told her that she was nearly glowing.

"We should get going before you're late. Wasn't the appointment for the marriage at three-thirty?" Yuffie asked her, stepping back into her shoes.

Tifa smiled and grabbed her purse, which was resting on her vanity. "Yes, but we still have some time," she said, turning to go. Just as she did so, she froze when she felt something strange in her lower belly. "Yuffie?" she asked quietly.

Her friend looked at her and her eyes widened when she was witness to Tifa's water breaking. "Oh, great timing kid!" she said in exasperation. "And Zack left five minutes ago!"

Tifa looked like she wanted to cry. "Why couldn't you just wait another few hours, huh?" she asked, rubbing her stomach when she felt the signs that her contractions would start pretty soon. There was nothing more she could do except go to the hospital. It wasn't like she could go to City Hall, marry Zack, and then go to the hospital to have the baby. Though she really was tempted for a moment, she wouldn't risk her son's health. "Take me to the hospital while I try to get a hold of Zack, won't you please?"

Yuffie nodded and grabbed the baby bag that had been ready for the labor since last week. Then they walked out to Tifa's car, and she cursed the fact that she had made Zack leave before her. She had never been one for superstition, but she did believe that the groom shouldn't see the bride before the wedding and in her dress. But despite the fact that their plans had now been thwarted by her little-bitty Zack Fair, she would hold him in her arms in the next few hours. Hopefully it wouldn't be the next few days, as she had heard some women recount the hours and hours of labor. Denzel hadn't been too quick either, but she hadn't spent days in labor.

Yuffie hugged her before helping her into the passenger seat. "We're having a baby!" she said excitedly.

Tifa grinned. "There's no _we_ unless you're squeezing something the size of a watermelon from a very tiny place too," she said, a joking note in her voice. "But yes, the baby is coming! Now!" Tifa said, letting out a breath when a contraction started. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to remain calm as she dialed Zack's number and was sent directly to his voicemail. "Answer the phone!" she hissed as Yuffie began to drive.

"Why don't you call Sephiroth or Vincent, they should be at City Hall by now, and they'll tell Zack when he arrives," Yuffie offered, trying to remain calm. True, she wasn't the one who would be in pain, but she loved Tifa with all her heart, and the fact that the baby was so close made her feel giddy. She couldn't wait to find out if she and Vincent would be able to have more children. She loved the thought, but she had to talk to him and to Oren about it.

Tifa frowned in worry. "I can't get a hold of Zack, and Seph's phone is off. Why is everything working against me today?" she asked, trying to squelch the feeling of worry in her heart.

……………

Zack smiled to himself as he pulled out of the driveway of his home. His heart felt light, and he couldn't erase the look of happiness off his face. Though he knew that this wouldn't be Tifa's dream wedding, he did know that she was happy that they would be together in every sense of the word now. The baby was due in a few days, and things were looking up for them. Scarlet hadn't reared her head in a while, and though he worried that she would cause some sort of scandal, he was happy that she knew nothing of their wedding.

His cell phone rang and he briefly looked down to find that it was an unrecognizable number. He clicked on his ear piece and hoped that it wouldn't be anyone from City Hall telling him that they were missing some type of requirement to marry. He'd curse someone out if that were the case. "Hello?"

"Hello, my _precious_," a breathy voice said.

"What do you want? I'm on my way out and I don't have time for this," he snapped.

"Where are you going, Zack?" she asked pleasantly.

"That's none of your business," he nearly snarled. He really was running out of patience when it came to his ex. "I'm hanging up now."

"I heard from a very reliable source that you're getting married today. Didn't I tell you that you hadn't seen the last of me? That I wouldn't let you get away from me so easily?"

Zack sighed. "I'll call the police on you, Scarlet. Don't force me to take these matters further. Leave me alone to live my life and take care of your daughter, she needs you more than you need me."

"Genesis took my daughter because of you. You'll pay for that too," she said.

"And pray tell, how will that happen?" Zack asked, turning onto the highway that ran with a cliff at the side of his lane. It was the shortest way, but maybe not the safest during rainy days. He grunted when his car jerked forward and he looked into his rearview mirror to see the car that had run into him from behind.

"Do you really want me to hurt you, Zack?" Scarlet asked him softly.

"Don't do this, Scarlet," Zack said, feeling his heart freeze when she hit him again. Either he accelerated and risked hitting someone else, or he tried braking and made her slam into him from behind.

"I rather see you dead than with _her_," she hissed. "Goodbye, Zack," Scarlet said, clicking off.

Zack hit the brakes and prayed that it would work. It did stop _him_, but _she_ didn't break. Instead she accelerated and forced him off of the side and towards the edge of the cliff. He prayed that he would somehow make it out alive, but as his car fell forward, it didn't look very likely. His last thoughts as his car came to a stop and blood dripped over his eyes from his temple, were that he hoped that his son and Tifa didn't mourn him for too long, and how much he loved them, including Denzel.

…

…

…

…

…

…

You know, I think I'm getting the feeling that I kind of screwed up Tifa's months and the time when Denzel is supposed to complete his junior year. I'm confused myself, so I'm going to check that out tonight and try to figure out if I've given Tifa too many months of pregnancy. Was that confusing? Imagine how I'm feeling at the moment, hehehe. Anyway, how was it? Were Seph and Aerith too quick to rush into things? Was she too easy? And what's with the blonde psycho? When she said, "Hello, my precious," I totally thought of Gollum in Lord of the Rings, ha!

Now, don't kill me please! I know this is all crazy now, and you're thinking that I'm overly dramatic, but it had to happen. I can't give any indication of what's next, but the baby will be born—btw, he still doesn't have a name and I'm kind of freaking out at this point—and there will be some Vincent and Oren interaction. This chapter was much shorter, but the next will be more packed, and expect the VinceYuffie smut soon. I don't write smut so explicit, but I try to write out as best it can be written without so many details. Again, thanks for the reviews in the last chapter. I will try my best to reply to you guys from now on, but I don't know if my time will allow me to, though I do want to. Hope no one curses me out and I'll see you guys soon!

Joey

P.S. Finally Denzel got his moment of teenage angst!


	18. Loss

Well, with the threat of getting hit by a fish, here is the next chapter!

………………………………

**Loss**

………………………………

Tifa paced, enduring the pain of walking if it would make the labor start sooner. An hour had gone by and she had yet to get a hold of Zack. His phone kept sending her to voicemail and she had left increasingly angry and worried messages for him. She had been so anxious that Yuffie had taken her cell phone from her and was outside, trying to get in touch with any of their friends. Tifa didn't know what to think, but she had a feeling that something was going on. Something bad.

A contraction started and she took in a few breaths, realizing that though they were still far apart, the time between them had shortened by a few minutes. She looked up and managed a smile when Denzel walked into the room, followed by Cloud. "What are you two doing here?"

"I called my dad when Yuffie contacted me and told us that you were in labor. Sephiroth, and Oren's dad stayed at City Hall to wait for Zack," said Denzel.

"He wasn't there yet?" Tifa asked, frowning.

Denzel shrugged. "Maybe he hit some traffic. Don't fret mom. He'll be here soon," he assured her.

Cloud looked at her and gave her a small smile. "Ready to be a mom again?"

Tifa nodded and patted her stomach. "Just as long as he cooperates and doesn't give me too much grief."

He nodded and patted his son's shoulder. "Stay with her. I'm going to talk to Yuffie, she's outside because reception is better out there," said Cloud before walking out of Tifa's room. He found Yuffie as she was stepping out of the elevator. "Did you get a hold of this guy?"

Yuffie looked worried. "No. Vincent and my son are on their way out of City Hall and they said that Zack still hadn't arrived."

"You don't think that he ran out on her, do you?" he asked quietly, eyes darting towards Tifa's door.

The petite woman shook her head. "Of course not. They were both happy and waiting for this baby together. There were no problems indicating that he didn't want this life with her. Tifa would've told me if there had been. Besides, Zack isn't a bad guy."

The elevator dinged and the doors opened to let out Sephiroth, Aerith, and Kadaj. Cloud felt himself go a little cold at the sight of them. Though he didn't hate his ex-wife, she wasn't his favorite person either. He turned his back to them and walked back into Tifa's room.

Yuffie looked at the people who had arrived and then focused her gaze on Sephiroth. "No word?" she asked worriedly.

"None," Sephiroth replied. "What have you told Tifa?"

"Nothing. I had to take her phone from her because she was starting to panic and at this moment, she needs to focus all of her attention on the baby. It's not healthy for her to be worried right now, but we can't contact Zack. His phone goes straight to voicemail," said Yuffie.

"What will you tell her?" Aerith asked.

Yuffie shrugged helplessly. "I have no idea."

"Just tell her that you sent your father's son to get him because he had some car trouble. That he'll be here as soon as possible. That should buy us some time," said Sephiroth.

"Okay. But please, keep trying to get in touch with him. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep Tifa calm with all these little lies," Yuffie said before walking off.

Aerith bit her lip and turned to Sephiroth, sliding one hand into his. "You don't think… that he would've run off on her, do you?" she asked softly.

Sephiroth shook his head. "Zack was never one to run off and leave behind anything. He always confronted things head-on," he replied. His eyes moved to Kadaj, who looked a little uncomfortable at their contact. "Why don't you go get Denzel and go get something to eat?"

Kadaj just nodded and walked off without another word. They looked up when Vincent and Oren approached from the elevators. "Did he show up?" Aerith asked.

Vincent shook his head. "There's no sign of him and we even stopped by their home. The car isn't there, and there's no sign that he ran off. Maybe something happened to him?"

"Don't say that," Aerith said, pacing a little.

Yuffie left Tifa's room with Denzel and Kadaj trailing her. "Any word?" Yuffie asked, hopeful.

"No. I was telling them that there is no sign of him," said Vincent. The teens left the adults alone.

"Why don't you and Sephiroth go look for him or something? Take the road he would've taken to City Hall. Maybe his phone died and something happened to his car and he's out there, trying to get in touch with us," Yuffie said.

Sephiroth nodded. "What did Tifa say?" he asked.

"She accepted the story, but if he's not here within the hour, she won't keep calm. Please find him," Yuffie nearly pleaded.

"We'll try," said Sephiroth.

Vincent nodded and pressed a brief kiss to her temple. "I'll call you as soon as we find something," he murmured before walking off.

Yuffie turned to Aerith and sighed. "Let's go keep her company. Try your best to get her mind off of Zack and focus completely on the baby."

Aerith nodded and they stepped into the room. Tifa was still walking, trying to speed the labor along, and Cloud was recounting his first date with some Jessie person to her. Aerith felt something twitch in her chest when she heard him talk about the other woman and smile a little. Tifa was smiling too and trying to breathe as a contraction lanced through her.

"Sephiroth and Vincent went to see if they can help," said Yuffie, a forced smile on her face. "You just focus on the baby. Did you finally decide on a name for him?"

Tifa sat down for a moment and took a sip of water. "I think we'll wait to make sure that he's really a boy. I don't want it to turn out that we're really having a girl," she said lightly. "Of all the times to have cravings," she muttered to herself.

"What are you craving, maybe I can go get it," Cloud offered.

"A chocolate bar with almonds," said Tifa, mouth watering a little.

"Coming up," he said with a small wink, walking off.

The women watched him go and then Tifa turned to Yuffie and Aerith. "Are you going to tell me what's really going on?" she asked seriously.

Yuffie felt her heart plummet to her feet. "What are you talking about, Teef?"

"Yuffie, I'm not naïve. I know something is going on with Zack and you won't tell me. Be honest with me, please. I'd do the same for you," said Tifa.

"I hate it when you guilt-trip me into something," muttered Yuffie.

"Why don't we just wait for Sephiroth and Vincent to come back?" Aerith offered.

Tifa glared at them both. "You promise you'll tell me then?" she asked. The other two nodded. "Fine. How are things with Seph?" she asked with a smirk, watching as Aerith blushed.

"I think we're okay right now. We're giving each other a chance and the sex is mind blowing," she said with a smirk, happy that she could make the other two women laugh in their current situation.

"What about Kadaj?" asked Tifa.

"A little better. He catches himself from calling me mom as of late. I want to hear him say it, but only when he's ready," Aerith replied with a little smile.

"Well, it's great to see your relationship with Kadaj getting better," said Tifa.

Yuffie looked at her watch and tried not to worry as the other two women kept talking about their sons. Whether Vincent and Sephiroth found anything out, she had to tell Tifa the truth sooner or later.

…………

"Are you sure this would be the road Zack took?" Vincent asked as they took the highway with the cliff on the passenger side.

"This would be the fastest way," Sephiroth replied, noting that up ahead, the traffic was extremely slow. "There must be an accident up ahead," he commented.

A thought sparked in the back of Vincent's mind. "You don't think… that the accident and Zack have something in common, do you?"

Sephiroth froze. "Will you take the car while I see if I can find anything?" he asked the other man. "I'll call you if it's nothing out of the ordinary." At that point, the traffic had nearly been stopped and was moving every few minutes. Vincent nodded and they both got out of the car. Sephiroth walked off and Vincent got into the driver's seat, hoping that for the sake of Tifa and the baby, Zack wasn't the one in the accident up ahead.

It took him nearly ten minutes to get to the accident sight, and once he did, the police didn't allow him to get close enough to see anything. Sephiroth growled to himself. "This isn't out of curiosity's sake. A friend of mine is missing and I need to know that he isn't the one you have. He would've taken this road more than an hour ago," he nearly spat out.

One policeman turned to him. "We got reports of a car being driven off the cliff. We don't know if he's still alive, but he was driving a silver colored SUV."

"Sweet mother of… it's Zack. How long will it be before you know if he's still alive?" Sephiroth nearly choked out.

"We're bringing in a rescue chopper now. You'll have to wait for another twenty minutes or so. And for what's it worth, if it's really your friend, I'm sorry."

Sephiroth refused to accept the man's words. It couldn't be Zack down there. It just couldn't. Not now. By the time the helicopter arrived, Vincent had gotten close enough to pull over to the side and wait for him. Yuffie had called him once, but he hadn't answered the phone because there was no news on who the person at the bottom of the ditch was. "Did anyone see why he ended up down there?" Vincent asked an officer as they all stared at the rescue helicopter.

"As of this moment we cannot share any details regarding the case, except that this was all premeditated. You will have to wait for the details, and we must contact his family first."

"I _am_ his family," Sephiroth hissed. "He was going to get married to his fiancée today, but this happened, and she went into labor. She's having his baby at the moment, so I must ask you to refrain from speaking to her, at least until the child is born."

"You will have to speak with the officer in charge of the investigation, but we will do what we can to help. Look, they've got him," he said pointing towards the bottom. The search and rescue people had already taken the person out of the car and were already lifting him towards the waiting helicopter that would fly him to the hospital.

"Is he alive?" Sephiroth asked quietly.

The officer walked off to speak to a few others. When he returned he let Vincent and Sephiroth know that as of that moment, he _was_ alive, but badly injured and being taken to the hospital where Tifa was having the baby. The men got out of there as quickly as they could.

…………….

"I had forgotten how painful it is to have a baby," muttered Tifa, a discarded chocolate wrapper on the small table next to her bed. She was sitting in bed, leaning back against the pillows and trying to figure out how much longer it would take for the baby to arrive.

"Oren took me nearly fifteen hours," said Yuffie, pacing a little and looking at her watch every so often. It had been another hour and still no news from either Vincent or Sephiroth.

"Kadaj was a few minutes away from twenty," said Aerith, remembering the most pain filled hours of her life.

Tifa leaned back against her bed and let out a breath. "Please don't let this take more than twenty hours?" she asked out loud.

There was a knock at the door and they all turned quickly to look, Tifa hopeful. But it wasn't Zack. Kadaj poked his head in and looked Aerith. "Mom, can I have a word with you and Miss Yuffie? Oren, Denzel, and me can't settle this argument without your input," he said with a small smirk, closing the door again.

Aerith blinked for a moment. "Did he… just call me… _mom_?" she asked numbly.

Tifa smiled and nodded. "Well, don't keep him waiting. He made the effort to call you mom." She turned to her other friend. "Just, Yuffie, will you call Vincent and find out what's taking so long?"

Yuffie nodded. "Of course. I'll be back soon," she said before she and Aerith walked out of the room. They approached the teens, who were standing by the nurses desk.

Aerith turned to Kadaj. "Did you call me mom?"

Kadaj gave her an annoyed look. "Yes, _mom._ But that's not the point at the moment. Dad called and said that they found Zack."

"They did? Where is he?" Yuffie asked quickly.

Kadaj let out a long breath. "He was in an accident and they're bringing him in now by helicopter. They don't know if he's okay."

"But he's alive, right?" Aerith asked in worry.

Kadaj nodded. "He still was when they pulled him into the helicopter."

Yuffie tried to think of what to do next. She couldn't tell Tifa what they had just learned. Not when the baby was so close. "Wait for your dad, Denzel. Ask him to keep Tifa company while we find out what's going on with Zack, and whatever you do, don't tell Tifa about any of this. We have to tell her when the time is right, and right now it's not," she said before she and Aerith walked off to the emergency room.

……………

Nearly three hours later, Tifa was at the point where she was truly in pain and she was minutes away from walking out of her room to go find Zack herself. It couldn't be that he had been stuck out in the middle of nowhere. Vincent and Sephiroth had gone after him, but they had not returned yet. She was starting to flip out and snap at everyone who had come to check on her. Even Yuffie, who had been a tremendous amount of support. But how could she react to her friend lying to her about the father of her baby? She had been in labor for almost five hours now, and only halfway dilated. Yuffie walked into her room again and gave her an overly cheerful look. Tifa glared at her.

"Tell me the truth Yuffie. Either he ran off, instead of marrying me, or something happened to him and you won't tell me," said Tifa, tears forming in her eyes. She didn't know which one would be worse. "Please. I need the truth."

Yuffie felt her own heart rip in two, since she had just gotten word on Zack's true condition. He was being operated on because he'd sustained a major injury to his head, since it had impacted with the side window and there was no telling what the consequences would be or if he would survive the surgery. "He… he had an accident," she found herself saying. "On his way to City Hall. He's okay, but he got a little hurt. He won't be able to come see you for another few hours," she lied. At least she had given her friend partial truth.

"I want to see him. Take me to him Yuffie. How badly hurt is he?" Tifa asked as she tried to get off of the bed. "Don't just stand there, help me!"

Yuffie shook her head. "You can't see him right now. Tifa, you're in labor and the nurses won't let you leave. In this I won't help you because you have to think of your baby before anything else," she said quickly, swallowing at the death glare that her pregnant friend was sending her.

"Yuffie, I'm going to kill you when this is over," Tifa hissed.

"I'm fine with that as long as the baby is born healthy and you're okay," Yuffie replied, handing over a bag of chips she had pulled out of her coat.

Tifa snatched and glared. "You're sure that he's okay?" Yuffie nodded. "Will you go check on him later and tell me how he's doing?" Another nod. "Okay. Sit down and talk to me. I'm barely halfway dilated and I'm bored."

She let out a heavy sigh and sat down, pulling a bag of some type of sugary nuts from her coat pocket. "Okay. Well, Vincent and I still haven't slept together," Yuffie muttered.

"Wow, I'm like a proud momma here," Tifa said, munching on a chip. "You're really going to wait until the divorce? How hard is it when he's living with you?"

"Very hard," said Yuffie, eyes glazing over as a memory of Vincent shirtless surfaced to her mind. He had to be the hottest man she'd ever seen. But sure, she was being biased. She'd _seen _Zack without a shirt on and Tifa was one lucky woman. Of course, she would keep those thoughts to herself. "You have no idea how much self control I've had to exert when he prances around in his boxers."

"Yuffie, he's sleeping in your bedroom at _your_ insistence. You're torturing yourself," said Tifa with a small grin.

"Call me a masochist then," Yuffie muttered.

Tifa just sighed, but no matter how much Yuffie talked to her, she couldn't shake the feeling that Zack was worse than what Yuffie was willing to tell her. He couldn't die on her. Their baby was hours from being born and she would double kill Zack if he decided to die on her and their baby.

Another four hours later and Tifa was at her limit. No amount of cheering her up from her friends could make her ignore the fact that she was having a baby and that Zack wasn't with her. She was on her feet and dragging along an IV as she walked towards the door, every step sending pain through her back and lower front, but she had made up her mind and no one would stop her. Cloud decided to walk in at that moment. "Where are you going?" he asked, quickly moving her away from the door and towards the bed again.

Tifa couldn't fight back—and boy did she want to—because in that moment, another contraction reached her. She was gasping in pain, clutching at Cloud as he held her by the hand and waist, riding out the pain with her, and trying very hard not to cry. "I have to see Zack. It can't be that if he's okay it would take him this long to come see me and our son. Take me to him Cloud, please," she pleaded. "I know something is wrong. It's been too long, and Yuffie won't tell me anything. I'm tired, and I'm in pain, and I'm running out of patience," she said with a small sob.

There was a knock at the door, and the doctor walked in. She gave Tifa a soft smile and motioned towards the bed. "We need to check you once more, Tifa. We need to see how we're going along. Maybe the baby is ready to come," she said.

Cloud looked at Tifa, but she just sighed and allowed him to help her into the bed. He averted his eyes when the doctor checked on her. He just held her hand and gave it a squeeze when she refused to smile. "This will be over soon, Tifa," he said quietly. She just looked at him and nodded once.

"I think you're ready to be prepped for the delivery room," said the doctor. "You are just about at the ten centimeter mark and we're ready to help that baby out."

Tifa nodded and sucked in a breath when the contractions started again. The next ones were almost continuous and she was barely thinking of Zack then. "Do you want me to go in with you?" Cloud asked her as a nurse walked in and they both helped her onto a stretcher.

"No, thank you. Can you tell Yuffie that I need her? I think it would be best if she were the one to go in with me," said Tifa.

Cloud nodded and walked out of the room, telling Yuffie that it was her turn to go in. They were taken into the delivery room, and while Tifa pushed and worked to bring her son into the world, Yuffie wondered how Zack was faring. The last update they had received was that the doctors were still working on him, and that they had almost lost him once. She had nearly cried for Tifa, but she couldn't break down. She needed to be her best friend's strength once more. She just hoped that Vincent's ex didn't decide to kill him in revenge for Vincent leaving her. The doctor knew who Zack was, and who Tifa was to Yuffie, so the feeling of doubt for Lucrecia was there.

"You can do it, Teef," Yuffie said in encouragement. '_If Zack doesn't pull through, this baby will be your strength along with your other son,' _she thought.

Tifa bit down a cry of pain and nodded, holding onto Yuffie's hand as she began to really feel the pain. She would do what she had to and bring her son into the world, but if no one gave her any news on Zack, she would find her own way of getting to him. She _needed_ to see him. She let out a loud cry and fell, boneless back against the bed, Yuffie hugging her around the shoulders when they heard the loud cry of a baby.

"Congratulations, mom, we have a boy," said the doctor as she handed the boy to the nurse and they cleaned him before handing him over to Tifa.

Tifa stared down at the baby and felt her eyes fill with tears at the thought that Zack had missed this moment. She didn't hold it against him because he was hurt, but she knew that he was probably mourning the fact that he hadn't been there with her. The tiny thing in her arms was still shrieking for all he was worth, but he was beautiful. He had the blackest hair Tifa had seen, and she wondered if he would grow to have Zack's hair. Then he blinked open tiny eyes and they were exactly like hers. A shade of brown that was almost mahogany, and they were beautiful in a face that looked much more like Zack's.

"He's so cute!" Yuffie cooed.

Tifa nodded and managed a smile. "Will you make sure to watch over him while they fix me up?" she asked softly, feeling the exhaustion start to creep in.

Yuffie nodded and took the baby in her arms. "I promise. Don't worry about a thing."

……………………

Sephiroth paced and watched as his son dozed off in one of the hard chairs in the waiting room. Though the boy had always been cold at treating other people, he had always had a soft spot for his uncle Zack, even when he was acting up. He could tell that Kadaj was worried about his uncle. Next to him was Vincent's son, who was staring at the ceiling and looked like he was staying awake out of sheer will. Tifa's boy had gone up to check on his brother and mother, and would bring back news once he knew what was going on. Aerith was waiting for Tifa as well, and Sephiroth wondered if she and Tifa's ex was up there too. He needed to ignore those niggling thoughts in the back of his head and trust Aerith if wanted them to be happy and at peace.

He looked up and saw that it was past midnight. Even if he'd been tired, he wouldn't have been able to get some sleep without news on his best friend. He had been there when the doctor had walked out to give them an update and his heart had nearly stopped when she had told them that he had died once. Now, if he went by what the doctor said, they should've been finishing with the surgery. He just hoped that he got a chance to joke about this with Zack in the future. Sephiroth didn't know what he would do if he lost his best friend.

Kadaj jumped to his feet when Oren elbowed him and Sephiroth looked over when the doctor walked over to them. "Do you have any news on Mr. Fair's fiancée?" Lucrecia asked.

Denzel approached them in that moment. "She just got out of labor and I have a healthy baby brother," he said with a small grin. "She's being taken to her room, but she's going to be sedated for a while. The doctor and the nurses think that she won't rest if they tell her that Zack isn't as okay as she'd thought."

Lucrecia nodded in understanding. "I will give you the news since he has no other immediate family. The surgery was a success, and we stopped his bleeding, but this injury was different from the one sustained by your mother," she said to Kadaj. "He injured a very different section of his head, and though we've repaired the damage now, there's no guarantee that he will be completely okay. Usually with these types of injuries, loss of memory accompanies it. It may be complete and permanent loss, or he may have lost partial memories and he'll regain them in a few weeks, or months. We just won't know until he wakes up. And therein lays the other problem. He's not out of danger just yet. He needs to survive the night without any brain swelling. If he makes it to the morning with no problems, he'll be completely out of danger," she said with a small sigh. "We did what we could to fix him. Now it's up to him."

Sephiroth nodded. "Thank you, doctor," he said quietly. She nodded.

Denzel let out a heavier sigh and turned to his friends. "I guess we'll know what to tell my mom come morning," he muttered.

Oren looked at Lucrecia and waited for her to walk away so that he could follow. "Excuse me," he said politely.

She turned to look at him and gave him a questioning look. "Yes?"

"Can I talk to you? About my father?" Oren saw her eyes tighten a little around the corners, but she nodded and led him towards her office.

She put on her white lab coat and offered him to take a seat before she did the same. "What do you wish to know?"

"I… I don't agree with the way they did things. But… I know about what you did, and I also know that you did it because you thought that my parents were already… together," he nearly choked out the word. He didn't need any mental images to accompany his words. Yuck.

Lucrecia sighed. "Are you here to tell me that they weren't together before I cheated on my husband? I know. I've realized that now that the initial hurt is over. You shouldn't be too hard on them. Though I will never sympathize with your mother, deep down I knew that your father would leave me some day to go back to her. I knew how in love with her he had been and would be for a long time. It's my own fault," she said quietly.

"You wouldn't hurt Zack purposely because he's with Tifa and Tifa happens to be my mom's best friend, would you?" Oren asked, hoping she didn't chew his head off.

Lucrecia looked scandalized. "Don't insult my ethics. I'm a doctor above all else and I would never hurt a person who puts their life in my hands."

"I didn't mean to insult you, but it was something that I had been thinking about," said Oren.

Lucrecia just sighed. "I hope that you can find a way to be happy with the family that has been given to you once more. Though it still hurts that he walked away from our ten year marriage and from me, I will let him go. There's no use holding onto something that wasn't yours in the first place."

Oren just listened to her and thought about his parents. How he had been so hard on them, and of the smile he had caught on his mother's face more than once when she was looking at his father. "I apologize for what you've been through in order for them to be together," he said, standing.

"You truly are your father's son," said Lucrecia with a smile.

"I guess I am," said Oren returning the smile and opening the door. "Thank you for your time," he said before leaving.

Lucrecia watched him go in silence and felt her eyes water with tears. She wasn't as okay as she'd told the boy she was, but there was nothing else she could do. Vincent had never lied to her regarding his love for Yuffie, even when _she_ had tried to lie about her daughter being his. They had never been meant to be, but she couldn't allow herself to dwell on her failed relationships. She had always been wrong about the men in her life, and the real father of her daughter was not the exception. She didn't know what it was about Hojo that kept bringing her back to him, but maybe it was time for him to find out that he had a daughter with her.

…………

Tifa blinked awake just as the sun was rising and wondered why she had slept the entire night without waking up to ask for her son. She looked around her room and her eyes came to rest on the various cards, flowers, and gifts sitting on the small table next to her. But a shine of silver caught her eye and she looked over and spotted Sephiroth with a tiny bundle in his arms. "Morning Seph," she said with a sleepy smile.

He looked up and offered her a nod before standing and handing over the baby. "The doctor wanted you to sleep for a few hours, so the boy has been bottle fed. Yuffie watched over you for a few hours until I came to relieve her. She has gone home to shower and eat and then will return."

Tifa nodded and stared at her sleeping baby in awe. He truly was beautiful, aside from the whole blotchy, slightly wrinkled newborn skin. She sat up with Sephiroth's help and winced in pain before settling again. She checked on the infant, counting his ten fingers and ten toes, and she had to stop and admire the wild strands of black hair that stuck up when she removed the tiny hat he had been wearing. He was beautiful because he was half hers, half Zack's. Her gaze snapped up and she bundled up the baby once more. "What's going on with Zack?" she asked seriously.

Sephiroth met her eyes unblinking. "Promise me that you will remain calm."

"If you're asking me to do that, then it's something bad," she said, voice cracking as she cradled her son to her. "Just tell me and I will decide if I _want_ to remain calm," she said darkly.

"Yuffie told you about the accident?" Tifa nodded and Sephiroth continued. "She sugarcoated it for you, and I agreed, but you need to know the truth."

Tifa let out a harsh breath. "God, please don't tell me that he's dead," she said, paling and feeling as if air would fail her lungs.

"Tifa, breathe. He's not dead, but he isn't as okay as you'd thought," he murmured. Tifa got her breathing under control and looked at him, pleading with her eyes for him to go on. "He's much more hurt than what Yuffie told you. He was in surgery while you were having the boy and he still hasn't woken up this morning. The doctor said that if he survived the night, he would be okay. He's stable now, and all we have to wait is for him to wake up."

"You have to take me to him. Take the baby," Tifa said, trying to hand over her son.

Sephiroth shook his head and moved away from her. Though there was something stabbing at his gut at the look of anguish on her face, she needed to rest and care for her son. He would look after Zack. "You must stay in bed. We all agreed to be honest with you once we knew that Zack would be okay, but you must rest. You have a newborn child now and you can't risk getting hurt now that he only has you. Zack will need you rested and strong for when he wakes up."

Tifa leaned back against the pillows and didn't bother to clean away her tears, just making sure that none landed on the tiny being she was holding. "How did this happen?" she asked as Sephiroth handed her some tissue.

"His car went off of a cliff on the road he took to City Hall," Sephiroth replied, leaving out the fact that someone had tried to kill Zack on purpose. Who would want to do such a thing? "He injured his head and Dr. Crescent operated on him. She says that the surgery was a success, but that the rest is up to Zack. They won't know what type of other damage he may have until he wakes up."

Tifa just nodded and held her baby to her, wondering what she would do when she saw Zack once more. She _needed_ to see him, if only for the sake of her sanity. "Do you want me to take him for you?" Sephiroth asked.

"No, thank you. I'm fine," she said calmly, though inside she was in turmoil. Her son needed her to be calm. Zack needed her to be calm.

They didn't let her see Zack until the day of her release. As Yuffie walked with her, slow and steady, Tifa calmed her breathing as they approached Zack's room. Yuffie stared down at her newest nephew and watched him sleep peacefully in her arms. He wasn't too fussy, and he only woke up to eat. Otherwise, he was a perfect little angel. Tifa opened the door to Zack's room and let out a shaky breath at the normal rhythm of the heart monitor. When her eyes fell on Zack's form, tears sprung to her eyes, and she wanted nothing more than to hug him and plead for him to wake up. It had been two days since the accident and since the birth of their son, and still Zack had not woken.

Tifa slid her slim fingers into his big warm hand and squeezed. Then she leaned forward and kissed his jaw gently. "Hey," she murmured, not caring for the pain after childbirth she was feeling. "You _have _to wake up sometime soon. I need you. Noah needs you too. He was born on the day of your accident and he wants to meet you. He needs his dad in his life, even if we never get married, we both need you."

"Teef, you need to go home to get some rest," Yuffie whispered.

Tifa nodded and turned to look at her friend briefly. "How am I going to leave him here alone?" she asked softly.

"He won't be alone. Our sons, Sephiroth and his kid, and Barret and Marlene have been by to watch over him. If there's any change, they will let you know," Yuffie replied.

"The same way you told me that he was this badly hurt?" Tifa asked, voice bitter. She saw Yuffie's face fall. "I… Yuffie I'm sorry. You know I don't mean that. I just… I'm kind of hormonal right now, but I do appreciate the fact that you're worried about me," she murmured. She turned back to Zack and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Please wake up soon," she said before turning to walk away.

Both she and Yuffie froze when they heard a small groan come from the bed. Tifa turned and her eyes filled with tears when she saw him open bleary blue eyes. "Thank goodness," she cried, pressing kisses to his cheek and lips. "I don't know how long I would've been able to take not seeing your eyes."

Zack blinked and stared at her, taking in the tears curving over smooth red cheeks, and noting the darkness under her eyes. She sure was pretty. He looked around the room and spotted the other woman holding the baby. Where was he anyway? What had happened? Why did his head hurt just as badly as the rest of his body? Why did his mouth feel like cotton? Why was he asking himself so many questions? He frowned and realized that there was one question that was glaring at him harder than any other. "Who are you?" he asked.

…

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Accckkk! Let me just hide from the canned tomatoes and the rotten eggs. I know, you're all going to kill me now, right? Are you tired of the drama just yet? I hope not, because there's a little more to come, and unfortunately, we're a few chapters away from the end, so be warned. Next chapter delves into Zack's memory loss, he meets the son he can't remember, and maybe we'll see more VincentYuffie moments, since I couldn't fit them here. I was finally able to find a baby name, and though it's not too FFVII oriented, it does mean _rest _and _peace_, so it works for me.

You know what? this chapter was greatly influenced by Grey's Anatomy in the episode where doctor Bailey is about to have her baby but she can't get in touch with her husband, and it turns out that he had an accident and needs surgery. Now, with all the grief that was going on a few chapters back, I'm being more cautious with my writing and I have to stop and think if I'm borrowing or straight out taking ideas from other fics I've read, even subconsciously. I've learned to talk to authors about their stories, and though I've ever only borrowed one idea from another author in my Harry Potter account, I got the okay from her. So while I was reading my outline for this story, I noticed that it was like GA, so I won't take credit for it. The scene then, is borrowed from the show, and it wasn't done on purpose, but the credit isn't mine and I can't very well ask for permission. I have borrowed it though, and it won't be the same as the TV show, but it will be similar. So don't throw tomatoes at me, peeps. What's to come is all mine!

I want to thank every single person who stopped to review the last chapter. Your comments mean the world to me and if anyone has any suggestions for me to improve, I'm all ears. Also, I've been spending a lot of time at the Genesis Awards. If you guys have a great FFVII fic that you want to nominate, go and check it out, I'll post a link in my bio page soon. Also, it's a great place to meet other author's on a more intimate level, as well as to get feedback and help with your writing. Feel free to comment on this chapter and the two-hundredth reviewer gets Zack and Vincent cookies! See you around.

Joey


	19. Hope

**Warning: **_Adult scene towards the middle. Don't read if you don't like!_

………………………………

**Hope**

………………………………

Zack watched the two women in his room with a frown, his head throbbing a little as the doctor checked the wound, his pulse, and reflexes. He felt like miserable and in pain, but what made him feel worse was the look on the long-haired woman's face. Though he had still been a little dizzy because of the meds upon waking, he had felt the press of her lips all over his face in her happiness. He could feel it in some part of his fuzzy mind, that though he couldn't remember her, she was someone important to him. He just… couldn't seem to reach any of his memories. He had a few blurry images of himself in a black uniform with a massive sword on his back, and a few other men standing on either side of him. One was a red head, the other silver-haired, and another dark haired one; he just couldn't grasp their names, no matter how hard he tried. And the more he tried to think, the more his head throbbed.

"You seem to be healing well enough on your own. At this rate, you will be able to leave the hospital in about two weeks," said the doctor, rechecking the gauze on his head. For the surgery, they had been forced to shave off his spikes, and it had been more than a shock to Tifa to see him without his trademark hair.

"What about the memory loss?" Tifa asked, not looking at anyone in the room.

"We'll have to wait and see. At this point, the wound may be causing the memory loss. Once he heals completely his memory may return," said Lucrecia.

"What if it doesn't?" Tifa asked. Lucrecia just shook her head and gave her an apologetic look.

Yuffie looked down at the little angel in her arms and felt her own eyes water at what her friend was going through. She looked up and her eyes met the doctor's. They shared an unspoken challenge, something along the lines of, _if you don't make him happy you'll pay for it, _and, _I'll make him happier than he ever was with you. _Then Lucrecia walked out and left them alone with Zack.

"I'm sorry," said Zack quietly from the bed.

Tifa's eyes snapped to his and she couldn't hold in her tears as she stood and slowly walked over to him. "This isn't your fault. You can't blame yourself for an accident." She was quiet a moment. "Would you like to hear a little about us?" He nodded. "The day of your accident, we were going to get married at City Hall. You told me that it was okay if we married earlier than we had planned in order for our son to have your last name. We were going to have another ceremony after I had the baby, one where we would share our happiness with our friends," she nearly choked out.

"And then I had to go and drive off of a cliff," he said lightly.

Tifa let out a strangled laugh and nodded. "That day I went into labor too. And I didn't know what had happened to you until after Noah was born." She beckoned Yuffie over and she handed her the baby. "You may not remember him while he grew inside me, but you both have a fresh start," she said, though inside her heart was twisting into a knot. She lowered the baby a little so that Zack could look at him and smiled at the awed look on his face.

"He looks like you," said Zack, something itching in the back of his mind at the sight of the newborn.

Tifa shook her head. "He has my eyes, but the rest is you." Zack stared from her to the baby and could almost touch the sadness radiating from her.

"I hope I remember," he told her softly, touching Noah's tiny hand gently.

"I think we should go, Tifa," said Yuffie quietly. "You just had a baby and you need to rest."

Sephiroth stepped into the room and noted the look on Tifa's face as she held her son in her arms. Then he turned to see Zack awake and wondered why Tifa had that look on her face. "What's going on?" he asked.

"I lost my memory," said Zack matter-of-factly. "But I can kinda remember you," he muttered.

"Is this some type of joke?" asked the tall man.

Tifa shook her head. "He doesn't remember anything," she said, voice cracking. She turned back to Zack. "I won't be able to visit as much as I'd like, but I will come when I can. Try to get your memory back?"

Zack looked at her and felt in his heart that he never wanted to see that look on the woman's face, even when he couldn't remember her. He _needed_ to remember. But his head still hurt like it had been hit by a sledgehammer, and he was feeling woozy thanks to the painkillers once again. "I'll try," he reassured her as his eyes began to drift shut.

Tifa turned to Sephiroth and gave him a pleading look. "Will you take care of him?"

"As long as you take care of yourself," he replied, giving her shoulders a squeeze. "Now go home and get some rest. If anything changes, I will call you."

She nodded and walked off with Yuffie. "Take the baby," she told her friend. Yuffie did so and Tifa promptly broke into tears as they walked towards the elevator.

Yuffie didn't know what to say to her. "Tifa…"

"Nothing you can say will make me feel better, Yuffie, but thanks for wanting to try," she murmured as they rode down the elevator.

Yuffie sighed to herself and wished that Tifa had accepted to be taken down in the wheelchair, since she knew her friend must've been in pain. But Tifa had only thought of seeing Zack once she had been discharged. "I do wish there was some way of turning back time and preventing this," she murmured, carefully bundling Noah once more as they began to walk out of the elevator and towards the parking. Tifa took a seat in a bench and Yuffie handed the baby over so that she could go get the car.

By the time they made it home, Tifa was feeling only slightly better, but she felt that more tears would come at any moment. Yuffie helped her settle in the bedroom and brought over the bassinet where Noah was currently napping. "Would you like me to get you something to eat? You have to remember that you need to eat right, even now, if you're going to breastfeed Noah," she murmured.

Tifa nodded and let out a sigh. "Okay. I'll eat anything you can find in the fridge."

"I'll see if I can make you some soup, and don't tell me not the bother. You're my best friend and I want to take care of you," Yuffie said before checking on Noah and then walking out the door. As she prepared the ingredients for the chicken soup, Yuffie wondered if Zack would ever remember Tifa. They had been so perfect together, Yuffie didn't know how Tifa would take it if her man never regained her memory. Especially now that they had a baby together. As she left the water and the chicken to boil, she checked on Tifa, who was napping. It broke Yuffie's heart to see the dried tear tracks on her cheeks.

Noah was stirring and Yuffie reached into his bassinet to pick him up as the doorbell rang. She checked to see who it was and opened the door to find Aerith on the other side. "How is she?" the brown-haired woman asked.

"Cried herself to sleep," said Yuffie quietly. "I don't know if she fed Noah while I was cooking, but he seems to be calm enough."

Aerith nodded and washed her hands in the kitchen before taking the baby from Yuffie. "Sephiroth told me about Zack and that Tifa had come home already. I'll stay with her and help as much as I can. You need a break. I know you've had a rough couple of days," she said.

Yuffie smirked faintly. "I really don't know how I've been able to stay on my feet. Just let me finish the soup and then I'll go home for a while," she said.

Aerith nodded and walked off to check on Noah's diaper. He really was a beautiful baby, even with the normal newborn traits that made them look a little _abnormal _sometimes. She remembered Kadaj's birth, how she had marveled at the silky silver hair, and the green eyes so like hers. Even though Tifa had decided to have a baby now, Aerith didn't think she would have the courage to be a mother again. Especially after she had deprived Kadaj from having her in his life. It wouldn't be fair to him if she were to have a child now, who would grow up with her present in every day of his life. She would dedicate as much of her life to Kadaj, but she would talk to Sephiroth regarding not having anymore children. She was fine with one son. She still had a long way to go in getting to know him.

"Yuffie?" Tifa called from her room.

Aerith wrapped Noah up in his blanket and walked into Tifa's room. "She's finishing up with the soup. How are you feeling?" she asked, handing the baby over.

Tifa let out a sigh. "I can't sleep much. I tried, but I keep having dreams of Zack. Sephiroth told you how he woke up?" Aerith nodded. "You don't have to stay with me. I'm going to tell Yuffie to go get some rest once she's finished cooking."

"I'll keep you company until Denzel gets here, if that's okay. That way, if you need anything there will always be someone here to help you," Aerith said.

Tifa nodded and managed a small smile. "Thank you for being here. Though I do want to be alone with my thoughts, I appreciate you and Yuffie taking the time to take care of me." It was a good thing too, that they were there, otherwise she would've been tempted to cry all day, and she knew that it wouldn't do her or the baby any good.

Aerith nodded and offered her a smile, helping Tifa with the gifts she had received in the hospital from various of the school's staff. Denzel, Kadaj, and Oren had brought the things over, but the boys had had to return to school. They needed to focus on their education now, more than ever. Their last year at school had to be the most important. Once the soup was ready, Aerith took the baby and Yuffie brought the bowl over. "Thanks, Yuffs," Tifa said with a faint smile. "I really appreciate this. Just go home now and get some rest. And don't worry about me, I'll be fine," she said.

Yuffie sighed and nodded. "Call if you need _anything_, okay?" she asked. Tifa nodded and Yuffie made her way out.

Aerith turned to Tifa once more as she sat down in a comfortable armchair. "Seph called me a little while back and told me to talk to you about something."

"About what?" asked Tifa, blowing steam from her soup.

"He said that Zack will probably be released from the hospital before you can get back on your feet after having the baby. He wanted to know if you would be okay with him staying with us. You need to take care of Noah and yourself; adding Zack with his head and other injuries will be too much at this point. Sephiroth will talk to you about this too, but I wanted to hear your opinion about it now. Do you think you would be okay with this?"

Tifa thought about it for a moment and finally nodded. "As much as I want to keep him here with me, hoping that he'll open his eyes and remember me, you're right. I can't possibly take care of him just yet," she admitted, taking a sip of the still hot soup.

"Then you'll be okay if we take care of him for now?" Aerith asked.

Tifa nodded and cursed her still crazy hormones when tears filled her eyes. "What am I going to do if he never remembers me? I mean, he recognized Sephiroth by face, but nothing more. What if he never comes back to me?"

Aerith rubbed gently at the baby's stomach and sighed. "Just think positive, Tifa. He'll remember, but… if he doesn't, all you have to do is make him fall in love with you again. If I remember correctly, he pursued you from the moment you met. What's to say that he won't fall in love with you all over again? You can't let yourself fall into negative thoughts. Just keep your faith up and you'll see that everything will be okay."

Tifa wanted to hope, she really did, but the thought of Zack losing his memories of them together, forever, was just too much. She let out a shaky breath and realized that for her son, she had to be strong. She had always been a pillar of strength for her father, then her son, and finally Cloud. Zack deserved that much from her as well. She nodded and wiped at her tears before sipping more of the soup. A small smile found its way to her face. Hmm, Yuffie had gotten better at cooking.

……………

Yuffie sighed to herself as she sunk deeper into the hot water of her bathtub. The bubbles had a hint of cherry blossoms that made her remember her home, but her scented candles were the ones throwing off the most scent. She had nearly nodded off more than once, but was reluctant to get out just yet. Her muscles were relaxed, but the exhaustion was settling in. Her eyes opened lazily when there was a knock at the door and Vincent stepped in, a small smirk on his face. "Sleeping?"

She shook her head and sat up a little, the suds covering very vital parts. "Almost. I think I need to get out before I drown."

"How is Tifa?"

"As good as she can be, considering that Zack woke up and can't remember her. She's at home with the baby, and Aerith is watching over her, but I can't help but worry over her. She's my sister," Yuffie replied, biting on her lower lip.

Vincent let out a small sigh and nodded. "I think I have something that might cheer you up," he said, producing some papers from behind him.

"What is that?" she asked in curiosity.

"The official divorce papers. I am now a free man," he said softly.

Yuffie's eyes widened and she surged to her feet, energy renewed at the news. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, not caring that she was soaking his shirt through. "Are you serious?"

Vincent nodded and didn't know where to place his hands. He settled for the small of her back, but touching her slick, scented skin was proving harder to do than he thought. Before he could formulate another word, her lips were pressed against his in a hot, searching kiss. His breath froze in his lungs as she shifted and his hands slid lower on her slippery skin. "Maybe I should let you finish your bath," he rasped against her throat when their kiss broke.

"Maybe you should shut up and take your clothes off," Yuffie replied.

"Are you sure you want to do this while our son is nearby?" Vincent asked, distracted when she pressed her chest to his.

To answer his question, they both heard heavy rock music start to blast from Oren's room, followed by off key singing to the lyrics that made no sense. "You really think he'll hear us over his music and singing?" she asked him, fingers unbuttoning his burgundy dress shirt. She had always loved the way Vincent looked in any type of red or black.

Crimson eyes slid closed at the feel of her mouth on his smooth skin. There was no way he would be stopping her a second time. He had his control, but where Yuffie was concerned, he had always managed to let go. From the moment they had met, she had needled her way into his life and found ways to bring him to his knees before her, even unintentionally. He had already waited far too long to have her once more, and he was a free man now. He felt guilt, over having dropped Lucrecia the way he did, but Yuffie had always been the love of his life and he couldn't feel guilty for loving her the way he had since he had been fifteen. He blinked hazily as her hands undid his belt and shoved his pants and boxers down as best she could. He really had wanted their first time after such a long time to be special. "Maybe we should go to the bedroom?" he offered.

Yuffie kissed him once more and shook her head. They would be able to try for normal some other time. Right now, all she could think about was touching Vincent and making him see that she wanted all of him _now_. "Maybe I should put tape on your mouth and have my way with you," she gasped out as they sank to the floor, her legs around his waist as he leaned back on his calves.

"And here I thought that all that kinky stuff had been a teenage thing," he said with a chuckle.

She smirked pushed off the rest of his clothes, her skin heating at his touch, his hands traveling over skin that was still youthful, but had changed so much since the last time they had been together. Old memories resurfaced, of gentle, tentative kisses. Seeing a blush on her cheeks at their first time, watching as she bravely took all of him. He had kissed her tears away and they had experienced their first time together amidst shaky breaths and hesitant hands. The smile on her face afterwards, as he held her in still too-lanky arms had stayed with him throughout the years. He had filled out after high school, working out his frustrations and trying to forget Yuffie's smile. He wasn't so lanky anymore, but he was still on the slim side.

Yuffie herself was marveling at how much he had changed. He had defined muscles everywhere she touched. Not too bulky, but definitely there. She watched in satisfaction as the muscles of his stomach twitched at her touch, the light of the scented candles making shadows dance over his pale skin. He was watching her silently, quiet as she inspected the change on his body. "I love you," she whispered.

Vincent looked into those shining brown eyes and felt his heart lighten at her words before he crushed her to him, the air of teasing being sapped away under their near desperate kisses. "I love you too," he murmured against lips, fingers teasing and caressing more sensitive spots. Yuffie sighed in pleasure but pulled his hands away, placing them on her hips.

"I need you," she whispered, Oren's music still blaring in the background about a tragic love.

His eyes held hers as he eased into her, sweat breaking out over his face and shoulders as he began to move at a pace meant to drive them both crazy. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, a loud gasp leaving her lips as he pressed her back against the cool marble of her tub. Stuck between cold marble, and Vincent's scorching skin, the sensations were amplified, making her skin tingle and her breathing quicken. She was trying so hard to keep her wits, but Vincent's movements were just too much for her to handle. She didn't know if they had started only minutes before, or maybe hours. She was so lost in his taste and smell that time had paused for them both. He kissed her again and swallowed her moan when he pressed their bodies together faster and harder. Her fingers were now in his hair, clenching handfuls as her body began to throb in almost unbearable pleasure. "Vince…" she gasped, voice high as her body moved over the threshold.

His own breathing was quick as he kept his pace, watching her cheeks flush and her eyes flutter closed as his hands dug into her hips. "Marry me," he grunted out, movements quick and desperate.

"Yes," she rasped, though she didn't know what she was really saying yes to. She knew she wanted to marry him, but the pleasure was near overwhelming. Then he stiffened against her and she let out a cry at the feel of him, letting go inside of her. She clutched him tightly, her brain working through the fuzz to think about what he had asked her right at the end. There were tears in her eyes. No matter that she had wanted their moment to be more perfect than on their knees in her bathroom. Her heart was singing as the realization that he was hers again really sunk in.

His breathing was still quick, but his hands were around her, clutching her to him as if she would be snatched away at any moment. "I want you to be my wife," he murmured, nuzzling her neck.

Yuffie smiled a little dazedly and nodded. "Did you get my ring yet?" she asked, kissing his jaw and pulling back to look at him.

"It is… currently in my pocket," he said with a smirk.

Yuffie looked down at his pants and found them shoved around his ankles. He must've been feeling pain in his knees by now. She shifted and felt him shiver as she rubbed against him as she felt his pockets and then produced a velvet box the color of her very favorite green. She opened it, and inside was a silver ring with jades and diamond stones sitting at the very top. It was beautiful. "Wow," she murmured, staring at the jewel. "Just how rich are you really?"

"My father left me a nice amount in an account that I couldn't touch until I was twenty-one. Once I reached that I age, I only used money to go to college and the rest has been sitting in that account since, gathering interest," he replied, taking out the ring from the box and slipping it onto her finger. "It will be Oren's money now."

Yuffie smiled and looked up at him. "We'll have to wait a while though," she said.

Vincent nodded, understanding that they couldn't celebrate anything while Tifa was suffering at the moment. "You pick whatever date you wish, and we will marry then." A look crossed her face. "Is something wrong? Did you not like the ring?"

She smirked and shook her head. "I loved it… but you asking me to marry you in such a crucial moment was kind of… I don't know… weird?" Yuffie said with a small shrug. "I know that we have gone beyond teenage boyfriend/girlfriend stuff, but… you should have been on your knee, outside of my window, giving me serenade," she said with a pout.

"I can do that as well, if you'd like," he offered, kissing her forehead.

Yuffie let out a small laugh and shook her head. "We were never a very typical couple, so I guess this is just as perfect. I just don't know what I'll tell people when they ask me how you proposed." She stood up and helped him onto his feet, watching him wince a little as he rubbed his knees and finished pulling off his pants.

Vincent wrapped her in his arms once more and ran his hands through her damp hair as she kissed his chest over his heart. "Just tell them that I was on my knee, outside your window, giving you serenade," he said with a snort.

"Tifa won't fall for that," Yuffie said. "But I guess everyone else will. Want to take a hot bath with me?" she asked, waggling her eyebrows.

Vincent gave her a heated look. "A chance to rub soap all over you?"

"Geez, is that all you think of?" she asked with a giggle, pulling him into the lukewarm water.

"When it comes to you, of course," he deadpanned, settling behind her in the water as she poured more hot water for them.

Yuffie handed him a bar of soap and a washcloth. "Get to work, and get your mind out of the gutter," she said, giving him her back so that he could scrub away. Vincent let out a long, contented sigh and rubbed soap over her back, his thoughts peaceful and his heart happy. He had never felt so content in his entire life and he would never let anything stand between him and Yuffie ever again.

…………………

Aerith watched Sephiroth as he kept watch over Zack. She remembered from years ago, that he had always mentioned a very annoying best friend who had been like a brother to him. She had to admire how much he cared for that brother now, in his hour of need. Zack just looked lost as he sat in the bedroom, looking through some sort of memory book from SOLDIER. He was asking Sephiroth questions every once in a while, but showed no signs of remembering anything on his own. She looked up at his next question. "When did I meet Tifa? Did she mean a lot to me?"

"She had your child, what do you think?" he asked lightly.

"I want to remember her, but every time I try, my head starts to hurt," Zack muttered. "The baby… what type of father will I be if I can't even remember my own son?"

"He's a newborn, he won't hold much of a grudge if you don't remember him. As long as you're there from now on, even if you can't get your memory back, you'll be okay."

"Do you have any kids? You have a pretty wife," said Zack.

"She's not my wife, but she _is _the mother of my only son. He's seventeen now," Sephiroth replied, staring out the window and not realizing that Aerith was there.

Zack looked confusedly down at the images of himself, much younger and in a black uniform, standing with a man with red hair, another with black and with Sephiroth. "Why aren't you married to her?"

"It's a long story. Maybe it would be best if I told you more about yourself and about Tifa," Sephiroth offered.

"Okay. But… do you think you can ask her to come visit me when she feels better? I can feel in the back of my mind that she's important, but I just can't…"

Sephiroth nodded. "I will ask her to bring her son. It has been a little more than a month, she should be okay to leave her home now," he said.

Zack turned to a page of pictures that had nothing to do with SOLDIER and everything to do with friendship. There was a smirk on Sephiroth's face as Zack held a tiny boy with silver colored hair in his arms. In the background were the other two SOLDIERS that appeared in the other images, and they looked to be having a good time. He smiled to himself and closed the book, his head throbbing once more. "I should take my meds," he muttered, limping towards his nightstand, where various bottles of painkillers sat.

"I'll let you get some rest," Sephiroth murmured before walking out. He was only a little surprised to see Aerith standing by the door. She hadn't tried to hide, but was looking at him in question. "No progress yet. I'm showing him old images. His mind recognizes them, but he can't remember. He wants to see Tifa."

Aerith nodded and walked with him towards their bedroom. "I fear Tifa isn't taking this as well as we thought. She seems strong, but I think she's losing hope. It's been a month since he left the hospital and though he's healed, he's not showing any signs of remembering anything," she said sadly.

"Maybe spending more time with her will help. We should ask Tifa if she feels up to taking Zack in, now that the baby is older and that she's feeling better physically," Sephiroth put in, pulling off his shirt and heading towards the shower.

"Where are we going, Sephiroth?" she asked before he could close the door.

He gave her a quizzical look. "I'm going to take a bath. I don't know where you want to go," he said with a small shrug.

Aerith rolled her eyes at him. "I mean with _us_. Where do you see us going as a couple? Would you marry me in time, or do you still doubt my word?" she asked.

Sephiroth stepped out of the bathroom and walked over to stand in front of her. "You have to stop and think that I still need time to see if you're serious about us. You may be older and more mature, but we still have so much to learn from each other. I won't risk allowing myself and my son to get hurt once more. I've come to trust you these past months, but I still need time to get to know you. Do you understand what I mean?" he asked.

Aerith sighed and nodded. "I would've been so much more doubtful than you if our roles had been reversed. I just wanted to know what you thought after this time that we have been dating," she said.

He nodded and tilted her chin up to press a searching kiss to her lips. He smirked when she let out a shaky sigh. "I think that with a bit more time, we'll be able to decide where we both want to go. But at this moment, I want us both to go take a shower together."

Aerith rolled her eyes and smiled. "You're insatiable."

"But you love every minute of it," he replied, guiding her towards the bathroom.

…………………

Tifa sighed to herself as she stepped into Sephiroth's home. She hadn't seen Zack in nearly a month, though both Seph and Aerith had kept her up to date with any progress he made. Each day that passed and he didn't remember made her hope die little by little. She had Noah as a distraction, but there were times when nothing could stop her from thinking of Zack. Sephiroth greeted her and guided her outside, taking the baby from her and telling her that he would take Noah to Aerith so that she and Zack could talk in peace for a little.

She watched him as he sat under and umbrella, reading a book. His spikes were gone and this was the first time she had seen him without that mass of black hair. It made her sad to see him so different, and add to that the memory loss, he was like a stranger. "Morning," she said lightly.

Zack looked up and closed his book, standing to greet her. His eyes took in her face greedily, trying with all his might to remember the shape of her eyes, the curve of her lips. Her smile. The sight of her face sparked some sort of recognition in his mind; her smile as he asked her to marry him. _…I want them to call you Mrs. Fair from now on. Will you be my wife?_ He looked at Tifa and tried to recall more but was unsuccessful. He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry," he blurted.

Tifa swallowed and looked into those familiar blue eyes. "Why? We already talked about this and you know that it wasn't your fault."

"I want to remember you so badly," he replied.

"I want that too, but hopefully you will remember soon if you don't try to force things. We should keep our hopes up, right?" she asked, a forced smiling finding its way to her face. "How have you been?"

Zack shrugged. "My head still hurts, but the doctor says that thanks to all the stuff that SOLDIER injects into their recruits, my wound is healing quicker than expected. The surgery cut is nearly healed completely and all my other bruises are gone. All I have left are a few scars from the accident."

"Would you be comfortable coming home with me now?" she asked quietly.

Zack didn't know. Even though there was some type of recognition in a foggy section of his mind, Tifa was still a stranger to him, despite all the information Seph had been able to provide. "Would you feel comfortable with me living with you the way that I am now?" he asked.

Tifa nodded. "Maybe living in your home will jog some type of memories. Besides, you need to get to know your son," she said with a small smile.

As if on cue, Aerith walked out with a crying baby in her arms. "I think he may not like me much," she said with a grin. "But that's okay, he'll love me once he gets older."

"He's just sleepy," said Tifa, taking the boy and rocking him gently. Zack watched her, so natural and beautiful, holding his son. He watched in curiosity as the boy sucked on a pacifier, little eyes drooping within minutes. Tifa looked up and their eyes met, hers sad, his amazed.

Aerith looked from Zack to Tifa and wondered if either of them would say anything. "Maybe Zack would like to hold the baby?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"What if I drop him?" asked Zack.

"You can sit down if you'd like," Tifa offered. He nodded and sat in the chair he had been occupying. She then placed Noah in his arms and watched Zack cradle the baby with obvious care. Zack was a big man, and Noah was still pretty tiny, but he did a good job and before they knew it, the boy was asleep. Aerith decided it was best to leave them alone once more.

"I can't imagine how hard this has been on you," said Zack, inspecting tiny features, small hands, and small booted feet. He smirked at the sight of the tiny spikes as well. "What if I don't remember, Tifa? I'll understand if you don't want to bother with me."

"Don't say that," Tifa said, voice cracking. "You have been such an amazing man. You have your moments of testosterone, but you're a great man and I'm going to stay by your side because I love you, and because you're the father of my son. You were going to be my husband too, but what kind of love would it be if I left you when you need me the most?"

Zack sighed and nodded, feeling his heart ache at her words. She was someone he could easily fall in love with again, even if he never recovered his memories. Just by watching her speak, and from the stories Sephiroth had shared with him about her, he knew that Tifa was an amazing woman and that he had been happy to have her in his life. Just the fact that she was still here, offering him the opportunity to return to a life that he couldn't remember was enough to convince him that she loved him even more than what she had said. "Sephiroth was right. You're an amazing woman," he murmured.

Tifa bit her lip and excused herself for a moment. When she entered the kitchen, she nearly ran into Sephiroth, but instead of moving away, she clung to him and cried. Aerith watched sadly and walked off to check on Zack and the baby. Sephiroth rubbed Tifa's back and gave her a squeeze. "Did he say something to upset you?"

She shook her head and pulled back, a little embarrassed at having broken down that way in front of Sephiroth. "I don't know whether to blame my hormones or myself. It's just so hard to have him talk to me the way he used to without him knowing just how much it hurts that he doesn't remember me. He's coming home with me," said Tifa, wiping away her tears.

"Are you sure _you're_ up for that?" he asked her seriously. "I don't mind keeping him here with us a little longer."

Tifa shook her head. "He needs to come home. Otherwise I won't be able to make him fall in love with me again," she said with a faint smile. Sephiroth just gave her shoulder a squeeze and nodded. Tifa watched from the kitchen window as Zack spoke to Aerith and smiled down at their son. Noah would be her hope and strength if nothing else. She smiled and looked at Seph, who had been watching her quietly. "I never did shy away from a challenge," she said, tone positive. And her situation now was no different. Zack would fall in love with her again, even if he never remembered her.

…

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I didn't much like the ending because it gave me a couple of problems. I just couldn't find the right words and I know I've done better. Ha, Seph and Vince are total horndogs, but Aerith and Yuffie love it, so it's okay. Anyway, a slow and short chapter, but it had to be done now too. Vincent and Yuffie are together again, Zack and Tifa are trying to get to know each other once more, and soon we will see what will be done to the person who caused the accident. I'm sure everyone will love that part. Also, someone asked if Lucrecia's daughter was blonde? No, I went back to check and I realized that I never gave her physical description. Scarlet's daughter was the blonde.

Now, I want to thank every single person who reviewed the last chapter. I tried to reply to all of the signed-in reviews, but I want to thank those who were not, since I couldn't reply to those. I love every single one of your comments and encouragements. They make my day, no matter how short or long they may be. Thanks! I will try my best to update sooner, since I have a few other projects coming up, so be patient! Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Joey

P.S. 2-Cold, your request should come up in the next chapter, so don't think that I've forgotten!


	20. Strangers

………………………………

**Strangers**

………………………………

Tifa woke, blinking rapidly into the darkness of her bedroom, trying to figure out what had been the cause of it. Something was niggling her at the back of her mind, and for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what it was. She sat up slowly and looked at the clock by the bed, the numbers glowing only slightly. She blinked once more and then realized that she hadn't heard Noah cry for his midnight feeding. She nearly fell out of her bed in her haste to get to her son, but upon stumbling into his nursery, she found him in the arms of Zack.

She let out a deep breath and tried to relax her pounding heart. She smiled slightly and noticed the empty bottle of formula sitting on the changing table by the rocking chair they were on. "Why didn't you wake me?" she whispered.

Zack shook his head. "I've seen you get up at this hour for the past two weeks. I thought it was about time I helped out in some way, and I saw just how peaceful you looked while you slept," he replied. "I didn't want to wake you."

Tifa walked nearer and ran a gentle hand over Noah's dark hair, which was still standing on end. The baby was sleeping peacefully in his father's arms but she didn't want him to get into the habit. "As soon as you're sure that he's fully asleep, place him in the crib. I don't want him getting spoiled," she said, offering Zack a thankful smile.

He nodded and looked down at his son, his heart swelling with pride. He couldn't remember Tifa's pregnancy, but he was happy that he was getting to know the baby now. Tifa had showed him how to change his diaper, how to make the bottles of formula, and what was the safest way to place the infant to sleep in his crib. He had much to learn, but he was willing to do his best. For the baby, and for Tifa. He wanted to do anything that would erase that look of sadness from her eyes, and the best way to do it was by caring for their son.

He had gone through various things in his office, including personal photo albums, bank statements, credit card statements, and papers of the properties he owned. He had been hoping he had kept some type of journal, but apparently he was too manly to keep a book of the sorts. He was also getting to know Denzel, Tifa's son from a previous marriage, and he found that they both enjoyed video games, if his own extensive collection wasn't an indication of that fact. He was absorbing everything like a sponge and trying to retain it. There were times when he forgot a few things, or Tifa told him that he had already asked her that particular question, but there wasn't anything he could do about that. The doctor who had operated on him had told him that it would go away with time.

Zack stood and set the boy down gently, making sure to tuck him in safely and the way Tifa had told him to. Noah didn't stir and kept on sleeping peacefully as the adults watched over him. "He's a cute kid," he whispered.

Tifa smiled and nodded. "He's got you as a father," she said lightly.

"You're a gorgeous woman too. Even with my broken brain I can see one reason why I fell in love with you," he commented.

"You should get to sleep," said Tifa, feeling the exhaustion creeping in and not in the mood to remind herself that Zack had no memories of her and just how much it hurt.

Zack watched her as she checked on the infant once more before she walked off to the room that had once been his as well. It hadn't felt right for him to stay there with her while he couldn't remember her. He felt like a stranger to her and even though he felt that recognition when he looked at Tifa, his memories were still a no-show. They had gotten a futon for him and he was currently sleeping in his office, at his own insistence. He didn't mind one bit, and he was at least happy that the house had climate control. The dogs, which he had strangely recognized fully, slept near him, on the carpeted floor. He had to avoid stepping on tails when he had to get up, and did the same as he crawled back into his bed.

His head was hurting again, and he reached over to take a pill that would help him sleep, since he had suffered a case of insomnia since his accident. Nearly thirty minutes later, he was asleep. Unfortunately, his dreams were fragments of memories, some sharp, others fuzzy, but he could hear them crystal clear.

"_I always knew you had some type of sick fetish with hair. I'm telling you, Fair, you need to see a shrink because trying to_ feel_ on_ my_ hair is not normal."_ Sephiroth.

"_When I was eight, I lived in Nibleheim with my parents. My mother passed away there, and I had this insane notion that her spirit was waiting for me in Mt. Nible, so I set off to find her and be with her again. I was crossing a bridge when it collapsed under me and I fell."_ Tifa.

"_I've missed you. You haven't returned any of my phone calls." _His own voice.

"_Of course. Of course I'll marry you."_ Tifa once more. Her voice was accompanied by an image of them standing in the nursery, him on one knee and slipping a ring onto her finger, tears of happiness on her face.

By the time the sun had risen, he was already up, his mind retaining the memories, though some of the images had faded. Even with the pill, he'd gotten less sleep than he normally did. As he closed his eyes and sat on the edge of the bed, an image of running his hands over smooth curves and flushed skin came to him. He opened his eyes and let out a shaky sigh. Leave it to his broken head to remember the most intimate moments before all the most important ones. Perv.

He stood and made his way to the bathroom, frowning at himself in the mirror. From the images he had seen from before his accident, he had kept his hair in neat, not-too-long spikes. His hair appeared to be growing back quickly, but he didn't like how short it still looked on him. He felt bald. And having the dark bags under his eyes wasn't really helping his handsomeness either. He vaguely wondered how he could remember a word like handsomeness.

As he made his way towards the kitchen, he stopped by the nursery and noticed that Noah was already up but hadn't alerted Tifa. The boy was making tiny gurgling noises and Zack smiled, picking him up gently. "Morning kiddo. Did you have a good night?" he asked, setting the boy down to change his diaper. Another few times and he'd be a pro and changing diapers. Big, mahogany eyes stared at him before the boy started to suck his thumb. Once he was done, he picked up the baby and checked on Tifa, who was still sleeping as well. He wondered how long it had taken her to get to sleep, since more than once in the past two weeks had he heard her quiet sobs in the middle of the night.

It hurt his heart to know that it was his fault that she was like that in the first place, and he wanted so much to remember her, to reassure her that he loved her as much as she did him, but he couldn't. He had grown fond of her in the last few days, and he had realized that he had a crush on her, but his feelings of love were a no show as of yet. She looked so pretty as she slept. Zack just hoped that she was patient enough to allow him the chance to get to know her again.

Noah made a sound and Zack quickly left Tifa's room before she woke up. He set the boy in his stroller while he prepared a bottle of formula, and sighed as he poured himself some cold cereal. Denzel chose that moment to walk into the kitchen, dressed and ready for school and offered him a grin. "Morning Zack. Morning shrimp," he said to the baby, squeezing a cheek gently. "No memories yet?"

Zack shook his head. "Only a few vague dreams, but I can barely remember those. Aside from that, nothing. Tell me, do you know how I proposed to your mother?"

"You guys planned a dinner for all your friends to celebrate Noah and us moving in with you. You had been working on my brother's nursery behind my mom's back as a surprise, and you revealed it to her that day. There was a stuffed moogle in the nursery, holding the ring. That's where you asked her to marry you," said Denzel, pouring himself some cereal too. "Why do you ask?"

"It was in one of my dreams, though I suppose that it's a memory, now that you tell me," said Zack, taking the baby in his arms and feeding him his bottle.

"Well, that's good that you remembered," said Denzel, munching on the marshmallows and sugary grains. He watched in amusement as Zack tried to get a bite of his own cereal as he fed the baby. "I gotta go. Oren said that he would come pick me up for school today. Tell my mom I'll be a little late because we're gonna go check out what's up with our football games, won't you?"

Zack nodded and tried to wave at the teen before he walked off. He looked down at the baby and found those mahogany eyes watching him. He wondered if babies were supposed to be this lucid at such a young age. He wasn't even two months old! "I hope I'm doing a good job as your dad. I have faith that I'll remember you before you came along soon enough," he murmured.

"Morning," Tifa said, walking into the kitchen. She was still clad in a pair of flannel pants and a tank top, and she had freaked out once more that she hadn't even heard Noah cry in the morning.

"Morning," Zack replied, watching as she walked over and pressed a kiss to the baby's forehead. Zack tried not to stare at her, but even without his memory, he found that Tifa was a woman worth watching. He cleared his throat. "Noah was awake when I got up. He was just gurgling to himself so I changed his diaper and brought him with me. Denzel just left for school and he said he would be a little late."

"Did he say why?" Tifa asked, preparing her morning coffee.

Zack grimaced. It had happened again. He could vaguely recall that Denzel _had_ told him, but his brain had decided to malfunction once more. "Something about football… I think," he muttered.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," said Tifa, taking the baby from Zack and burping him.

"Sure," said Zack, turning to his soggy cereal. "What about?"

"I have to return to school in a few weeks. My maternity leave will be officially over, but since you're here now, and you want to get to know Noah, would you be interested in watching him while you're here at home and I go to work?"

Zack thought about it for a moment. "I'm still forgetting a few things. Like right now, I couldn't remember the last part of Denzel's message. Would it be safe for me to watch over the baby as I am now?"

Tifa thought it over for a moment. "I still have two more weeks to go. How about we see how you're doing then? Maybe you'll have your memory back by then," she almost whispered the last part.

Zack nodded and smiled, feeling a little hopeful. If she had faith, he would have faith as well. "I wouldn't mind being a house dad. I can't remember anything from my job either, so I have to help out any way I can, right?"

Tifa nodded and patted her son on the back until he did his business. She pressed a kiss to his little forehead once more and watched Zack as he finished his cereal and moved on to a glass of orange juice, various pieces of fruit and some jam on toast. He also fed Buster and Bug, who had been whining at his feet. Watching him do all the normal things he had done before the accident made her feel a sense of déjà vu. But she could still feel that it wasn't right. Nothing would be right until Zack got his memories back and he stopped being the stranger who slept in a futon in his office.

……………………

"How is he doing?" Elena asked as she sat with Tifa, Yuffie, and Aerith in the park. The blonde had seen her friend's eyes move to Zack as he talked to Sephiroth, Vincent, and Tseng. Denzel, Oren, and Kadaj's football game had just finished, and they had won. As was custom, they had stayed in the park to celebrate by barbequing.

Tifa looked from Zack to her little niece, who was a few months older than Noah. Little Cassidy took after her father more than Dorian did. She had Tseng's black hair and even darker eyes, but the rest was all Elena. Noah was sitting in Yuffie's lap, happily drinking his milk. She sighed. "The same," she replied to Elena's question. "He's been really helpful where Noah is concerned, and any other things that may need to be done at home, but he's the same stranger that woke up after the accident. I want to keep my faith in him remembering strong, but every day that passes by just convinces me that he probably won't ever remember me," she murmured, kissing the chubby hand that was touching her face.

"The doctors haven't told you anything?" Aerith asked.

Tifa shook her head. "They say that the injury is all healed on the outside, but that it may still be healing on the inside. His memory loss after the accident has gone away at least. I don't want him forgetting that he needs to feed Noah," she said with a faint smile. "Especially now that I'm back to teaching. He's been a good father."

"What the—what the heck is blinding me?" asked Aerith, shielding her eyes in exaggeration before she grabbed a hold of Yuffie's hand and brought it up for inspection. "Is this an engagement ring?"

Tifa's eyes widened and she watched Yuffie blush. "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?" she asked quickly, taking a look at the ring too.

Yuffie sighed. "I didn't want to rub it in while you were going through a rough time."

"You should've told me anyway. I would've been so happy for you regardless of my situation! When is the wedding?" she asked with a grin.

"We haven't decided on a date yet," Yuffie said, eyes darting to her son and her fiancé. Fiancé. The word made her feel like a teenager and giddy inside.

"Well, don't worry about me. All this happening to me will pass, but I want to help out in the wedding preparations," said Tifa seriously.

"I'll make you wear mint green if you make me plan a big wedding," said Yuffie, eyes narrowed.

"I can… work… with mint green," said Tifa dubiously, tickling Cassidy's neck as the baby giggled. Aerith and Elena just snickered.

"I'm kidding. I wouldn't do that to you," said Yuffie. "But you will have to wear some type of green for the ceremony. It has to be a small one, and a party among friends," she said, cradling Noah, who was now asleep.

"I'm sure we can work something out," said Tifa. Though she was sad about her own situation, knowing that Yuffie was happy was enough to cheer her up for now. Her best friends deserved all the happiness in the world.

……

"They look like they're talking about us," said Zack, eyes on Tifa as she smiled and carried her little niece.

"That's what women secretly do when they get together in groups," said Sephiroth. "They bad mouth us men and plan ways to make us miserable."

"You don't _look_ miserable," Vincent commented. Tseng merely smirked as they stood around the barbeque, drinking beer and making hamburgers.

Sephiroth shrugged. "I'm not miserable now, but she makes my life hell if I step on her precious plants, even if it's an accident."

"Why were you stepping on her plants to begin with?" asked Zack.

"She asked me to take care of a spider. The woman can handle slugs, earthworms, and any other insect, but she can't handle a spider," Sephiroth replied.

"Seph the spider killer to the rescue, huh?" Zack asked with a grin. The men chuckled and Sephiroth glared at his friend.

Even in his amnesic state, he still found a way to needle him and have a laugh at his expense. "How are things with Tifa? Any memories?" Sephiroth asked.

Zack shook his head. "It's been two months since the accident and nothing but fragmented dreams. I haven't told Tifa, but the doctors told me that it's possible that at this point I won't remember anything from my past," he said with a heavy sigh, quieting Buster, who was barking at a dog passing by with his owner.

"Has she tried to get close to you?" asked Vincent.

"Not really. She talks to me, and even tells me about a few things I used to do before the accident, but she's kept her distance. I know it makes her sad to look at me and see that I'm not the man I used to be, but… I don't… I don't know what to do," Zack said with a resigned sigh.

"Maybe you should ask her out on a date?" offered Tseng.

Sephiroth nodded. "Even if you never remember her, you were in love with her before this all happened. She had your son and you were going to marry her. You can fall in love with her all over again. The last thing you want is to lose her to someone else, and then finally get your memories back."

Zack nodded, taking it all in. They all had a point. What if he let things cool down and Tifa decided she wanted to be with someone else? What if he remembered once it was too late? It was time to take matters into his own hands. "I'll be right back," he said, setting down his beer and walking off towards the women. He cleared his throat and tried not to blush when all the women turned to look at him. Suddenly he felt like a bug under a microscope. "Tifa, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked nervously.

Tifa nodded and handed Cassidy to her mother and stood, happy that she had almost lost all of the baby weight and that she fit in her jeans once more. She smiled at her friends when they winked and grinned before she followed Zack a distance away. Yuffie looked to her son to see that he was talking to Vincent away from the others, and she was itching with curiosity to know what the conversation was about.

Oren noticed his mom watching them and turned to his father. "I talked to your ex-wife back when Zack was in the hospital and my aunt Tifa was having Noah," he confessed.

Vincent looked at him with raised brows. "And what did you talk about?"

"You… and mom. She told me that deep down she always knew that you would never stop loving my mom, but that though she took responsibility, not everything was her fault," said Oren, rubbing at a bruise on his arm from the game.

"I won't blame her either. I've taken my share of the blame from the beginning, and I am sorry that I hurt her. But I love your mother," he said simply. "I've loved her for years, and that outweighed anything and everything else."

Oren felt something release in his chest. "Though I've been kinda acting like a jerk these past two months, I've been thinking about it all. Believe it or not, I'm happy that you're with my mom again, and that you finally got divorced. I just didn't agree with the way you did things. I just… I guess I have no right to judge the decisions you or my mom make. She's raised me by herself and she did a good job at it. She deserves all the happiness she can get, and all her happiness lies with you. I'm glad you're my dad, and that you're here now."

Vincent clapped a hand on the boy's shoulder and nodded, a small smile on his face. "I'm proud to call you my son. Your mother did a _great_ job in raising you on your own, maybe even better than if I would've been here with her."

"So you asked her to marry you, huh?" asked Oren as they walked towards the food.

"Yes, and she accepted. We're just waiting for Tifa to feel a little better before we start the planning and set a date," Vincent replied.

"You guys aren't planning on having babies, are you?"

Vincent narrowed his eyes and hid a smirk. "Why? Don't you want any siblings?"

"You guys are old," said Oren, snickering before he walked off and joined his friends, who were already inhaling anything that looked and smelled good.

Vincent watched his son for a moment and then turned to Yuffie, who smiled at him. He winked at her and gave her a little nod. She turned back to her friends and resumed talking, a brighter smile on her face. Vincent smiled to himself.

………

Tifa looked at Zack as they passed by the playground and moved on towards a line of tall trees with leaves of a healthy green. Slivers of sunlight poured through and shone over his handsome features. God, did she love him. Even if he remained oblivious to their past, she would always love him. "What did you want to talk about?" she asked.

Zack sighed. "I know that all of this has been hard on you, but it's been hard on me too. I want to remember you so badly. I feel the memories there, but I can't reach them, no matter how much I try. I don't want to hurt you, but I also don't want to lose what it is that we had. Obviously we had something special, since Noah was born from it, but… I need you to help me."

Tifa took his hand in hers and nodded. "I know we can work through this, no matter how hard it seems now," she murmured.

A flash of Tifa's smile, genuinely happy, went through his mind and somehow he knew that that smile had been for him. That one special smile that no one else was privy to. The memory of it made him lean forward, made her eyes dart to his lips for a second before they met his eyes once more. Then he was kissing her gently, tasting her with so much care, as if she would break if he was too rough. Another part of his mind recognized her taste, her touch, and he kissed her with more confidence. Tifa sighed against him and felt some of her fears melt away. He was kissing her the way he used to, even if he couldn't remember just yet. Maybe with her help, he would be able to come back to her sooner than they thought.

Tifa drew away and gave him a tender look, watching a smile curl his lips. She slowly wrapped her arms around him and smiled against his shoulder when he hugged her back. "I love you," she whispered, mostly to herself.

If he hadn't been holding her so tightly, he probably wouldn't have heard her, but he did and it made his heart speed up a little at her words. His fingers slid through the silk of her long hair and even that seemed familiar to him. "I know we can work through this," he stated.

And she believed him. Tifa smiled to herself and held onto him tighter, nearly squeezing the air from his lungs. She pushed back her tears of happiness, sorrow, and hope, and allowed herself to bask in the feel of his arms.

……………………

Tifa smiled from where she sat, grading papers and watching Zack as he tried to teach Noah how to put some shapes into the right places of the box they had come in. The baby was just barely five months old and was learning how to sit up on his own. His tiny spikes were growing out, making him shed his baby hair, but Tifa had to stop and grin at the unruly spikes. Zack's own hair had grown out as well and Noah looked like a mini version of him, except for the color of his eyes.

Though it seemed to her as if Noah had just been born yesterday, the past three months had served to bring her and Zack a little closer, even though he had shown no signs of regaining his memories. Every once in a while, he would ask her certain questions about past situations and tell her that he had dreamed them, though they were few and sparse. She was beginning to accept that he wouldn't remember, but at least he was with her, and she was trying her best to make him fall in love with her. So far, Zack had told her that she really was succeeding.

At the of the doorbell, she set down her papers and stood to get the door, a smile still on her face. Her eyes were wide as she came face to face with three of the most handsome men she had ever seen. Goodness, add Zack to the group and Tifa could honestly say she had never seen such gorgeous looking men in one room together. She cleared her throat and offered them a smile. "Gentlemen, how can I help you?"

Sephiroth smirked. "We're here to see if we can jog a few of Zack's memories. This is Angeal, and Genesis you have already met," he said, motioning towards a tall man with dark hair, and Zack's ex-friend.

"Come on in. Zack is in the living room with Noah. It's nice to finally meet the last friend of the group," she said, shaking Angeal's hand. She felt like an ant compared to how tall they all were. Zack was the shortest at 6'3!

"I do believe the puppy did well in choosing you. It's a pleasure to meet you as well," said Angeal.

"Puppy?" asked Tifa in confusion.

"Zack's petname from when we were in SOLDIER," Sephiroth clarified.

"We came to see if his hate for me triggered some type of recognition," Genesis put in lightly, looking over when Zack stepped out of the living room and approached them. His eyes settled on the child and he smirked. "He looks just like you," he commented.

"You are… Genesis and Angeal, right?" Zack asked with a frown.

"I thought he didn't remember anything," said Genesis.

"He doesn't," Sephiroth replied. "We looked through images from SOLDIER after he left the hospital, that's how he knows your faces."

"Poor puppy," said Angeal.

"I always hated that nickname," Zack said out of the blue. Everyone stared at him and he shrugged. "It just suddenly came to me," he said sheepishly. "The accident happened five months ago, how come you guys waited all this time to come see me?"

Genesis smirked. "You threatened me to keep my distance. I did as you wished, but Seph told me about the accident just a few days ago."

Angeal gave him a critical look and took in the similarities between Zack and the baby. "Business has been hectic. I haven't been able to tear myself away until now. Forgive me for coming until this very moment," he said. "I see you have grown up, puppy."

Zack smirked and looked down at his son, who was reaching for Sephiroth, recognizing him as his uncle. "Yeah," he said, eyes moving to Tifa, who was watching them all with interest. "Memories are still a blank," he said.

"You have no memory of the accident or what caused it either, then," Genesis stated.

Zack shook his head as they all moved back to the living room. "The police came by a few weeks ago and told me that they had determined that it was premeditated. Something about finding paint on the destroyed bumper and skid marks on the road that didn't match my car. They still haven't found who it was, and there's a chance that I know, but I don't remember anything from that day," he said.

"Maybe we should try to jog your memories with things from the past?" asked Angeal.

"Like what?" asked Zack curiously.

"Like the time our general made us do push-ups until we face planted with the mud," said Genesis. They had almost gone into SOLDEIR at the same time together, therefore they had all suffered together while they formed a bond of friendship.

"It was raining that day too," Angeal put in, chuckling a little.

"Or maybe the time Zack streaked through halls after he lost a bet," said Sephiroth with a grimace. "Now that was a sight that I could've done without."

"What?!" Both Tifa and Zack cried at the knowledge.

"You never shared _that_ with me," Tifa said with a laugh.

"Lucky for me, I can't remember that at the moment," he said with a chuckle.

"If I do remember correctly, there were some _male _recruits who passed on their phone numbers to your after that incident," said Angeal with a smirk.

Zack made a face and all the men laughed. "I think I rather not remember that particular memory now that you mention that," he said.

"Would any of you like something to drink?" Tifa asked.

"Water would be fine, thank you," Angeal said. Sephiroth and Genesis nodded in agreement and Tifa walked off to get their drinks.

"There was something else that we needed to talk to you about," said Genesis. "You're all going to hurt me for not talking sooner, but I just barely found out about your accident."

"What's this about?" Zack asked, leaning forward in interest. Sephiroth bounced Noah a little when the boy started to get fussy.

"A few months back, Scarlet told me a few random things while she was drunk. I went to see her to get a few things that belonged to my daughter and to have her sign some papers. I didn't understand them at first, so I ignored her. She wasn't making much sense. But when Sephiroth told me about your accident a few weeks back, and then about the police report, it all made sense. Your ex-wife was the cause of your accident. She wanted to kill you," Genesis said to Zack.

"Why would she want to kill me?" asked Zack with a frown.

"You refused to go back to her after you met Tifa," Sephiroth said. "Scarlet felt scorned and she wanted to hurt you. She's never been a woman who took rejection well."

"It's a good thing I don't remember her either," Zack muttered.

"You need to give word to the police. What if she tries to kill you again?" Angeal asked.

"Is there any real proof that she did it?" Zack asked.

"We should leave that to the police, but we must report it now," Sephiroth replied.

Tifa froze on her way out of the kitchen as she listened to the quiet men, talking about Zack's accident. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Scarlet had been the one to place them in the situation they were in now? She squared her shoulders and walked over to give them their water, noticing how they all became quiet. "Did I hear correctly?" she asked, meeting all the men's stares head on. "Scarlet did this to him?"

"Tifa…" Sephiroth trailed off.

"Don't try to play this off as something I misheard. Did she do it or not?" Tifa asked darkly.

"We have no proof but her drunken words," Genesis said.

Sephiroth nodded. "That's why the police must know."

"Right," Tifa said, turning to Genesis. "Can I speak to you for a moment?" she asked with a smile. He nodded and followed her into the kitchen.

"How can I help you?" he asked politely.

"I know you know where she lives. I need you to please give me her address," Tifa said seriously.

"What for?" he asked suspiciously.

"There are a few things _I _would like to say to her before the police take her in," Tifa said quietly.

Genesis gave her a shrewd look and smirked. "I can see what it was about you that drew Zack in. You are hundreds and hundreds times better than Scarlet," he said, writing down the address on a slip of paper.

"Thank you," Tifa said with a smirk. "Will you do me the big favor of watching both Zack and Noah while I'm gone?"

"You must be careful. Scarlet can be a dangerous woman when she wants to be," Genesis said to her.

"So can I," Tifa said before she was heading towards the door.

"Where is Tifa going?" Zack asked when she waved.

Genesis waved a hand. "She's going to take care of some business and she will be right back," he said, ignoring the look Sephiroth was sending his way.

Just as he heard the door shut, a strange look on Tifa's face—in her eyes—Zack felt something shift in his mind. Along with the sensation, came pain, needling into his head. He grunted and squeezed at his temples, memories and images flashing behind his closed eyes. He was vaguely aware of his old friends calling to him as they eased him onto the ground, but the pain was unbearable. Luckily, it faded away as everything went black.

………

Scarlet sighed to herself as she smoothed a hand over still slim curves, and a brand new dress. She had all that she wanted, including the knowledge that she had officially broken any type of relationship Zack and Tifa could've had before the accident. She had learned that he had lost every single one of his memories, and would most likely never recover them. She laughed in glee; it was the perfect revenge after Zack had been the cause of her losing her daughter.

All she had wanted was for him to return to her, she even would've shared her daughter's custody with Genesis, but no. Zack just _had_ to go and fall for that homemaker. Seriously, how could such a gorgeous man not want a gorgeous woman like herself? What did Tifa have that she didn't?

No matter, she was too hot to dwell on one man, and she would party for the rest of her life if Zack never remembered that she was the cause of his memory loss. The only danger she could think of now, was if she had indeed blurted something to Genesis a few months before, right after the accident. She had been celebrating with her close friend, Jack Daniel's, and for the life of her, she couldn't remember what she had said. Genesis had been by to pick up the last few things that belonged to their daughter, and to have her sign some papers concerning her visitation rights.

Well, it _had_ been five months, and he hadn't said a word to anyone about it. Maybe it was time to disappear either way. Scarlet smiled and walked towards her door when someone knocked. She was waiting for a beautiful specimen of a man that had asked her to join him on some type of cruise. The person at the door was not who she had been expecting.

Tifa's eyes were like flames of mahogany as she stared Scarlet in the eye. The sight of her fury made something sink in her gut, and Scarlet knew in that moment that she _had _said something to Genesis in her drunken stupor. "We have something to discuss," Tifa said calmly.

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?"

"Zack's _accident_," Tifa replied before letting loose her fist right into Scarlet's face.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Now, Zack's headache may have been a tad dramatic, but I don't know how people recover memories or if it can be painful. To make this work with the story, I made it painful on our poor Zack. I hope everyone liked this one, and I can't wait for the next chapter myself. I do think that there are only two chapters left for the end, but I'm so happy with how the fic turned out. I'm already working on my next fic, which will be a VincentYuffie, and a multi-chapter as well. Hopefully I'll be more inspired than with the one I have only one chapter for and haven't updated in months. If you've read that one, sorry! But back to this fic, Tifa and Scarlet will have a showdown and it won't be pretty. That's all I can give you for now, and thanks so much for the love you gave me in your reviews. I love your opinions, and I love this fic.

Oh, and 2-Cold, was the friendship between Zack/Seph/Angeal/Genesis to your liking? I'm still a little doubtful as to who was the 200th reviewer for this fic—since the review page eats one review from time to time, dunno why—so I offered both 2-Cold and YesAnimeCharactersCanBeSexy a challenge or request fic. I've written a RudeElena for YACCBS, and 2-Cold requested friendship between the guys, which will continue in the next chapter, btw. Thanks to the both of you though, for sticking with my fic so far, and to everyone else as well. I hope to have an update next week so I hope everyone has a good weekend!

Joey


	21. It's My Party

………………………………

**It's My Party**

………………………………

"Zack? Puppy, don't make me pound your head in. I've never been a very patient man."

"Maybe we should just let him rest."

"If you ask me, he's just being dramatic."

Zack could hear them talking, asking him to wake up—more like ordering for him to wake up—but he was finding it hard to open his eyes. He could hear the giggles of a baby, accompanied by the whispers of his friends. Where was Tifa? Wasn't she supposed to be around when he wasn't feeling too good? It was by sheer force of will that he cracked open one eye, his head pounding like nothing he had felt for a while. He found himself blinking up at a stark white ceiling and a sterile smelling room. He lifted his head and saw that Angeal was by the window, Sephiroth was nowhere in sight, and Genesis was holding his son. "Why are you holding my kid?" he asked darkly.

Angeal and Genesis looked over and closed the distance with Zack's bed. "You're finally awake. We couldn't get you to wake up and you were completely out. We brought you to the hospital so that your doctor could get a look at your head. You were clutching it as if you were in pain," said Angeal.

"Where's Tifa? And why do you have Noah?" Zack asked, sitting up with a grunt.

Genesis looked down at the boy, who was sucking on a pacifier and smirked. "Tifa had something to take care of. She left right before you passed out on us, so he had to come along when we brought you here," he replied.

Zack took the baby in his arms and smiled down at him. He remembered his son. He remembered his son from the moment he had found out that he had been on the way to his and Tifa's lives. He remembered the first night he had spent with Tifa, their first day of living in the same house, the night he had asked her to marry him, and the day of his accident. "Scarlet did it," he said abruptly.

Sephiroth stepped into the room and saw that he was awake. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I want to kill someone. I remembered the accident—well, I remembered everything. Scarlet drove me off of the cliff. It was a miracle that she didn't drive off with me, but she was the cause of my accident. I know for certain now," Zack said moving his legs over the side of the bed. "Where is Tifa?" he asked Genesis once more.

Genesis cleared his throat when his friends turned to look at him seriously. "She didn't say," he said with a shrug.

Zack's eyes narrowed. "You're lying," he said darkly. "I'm very pissed right now, Genesis, you don't want to cross me," he said as he stood, handing his son to Sephiroth so that he could pull his boots on. For some reason, he had always known when Genesis lied—which hadn't been an all too common occurrence.

"She went to see Scarlet. There was nothing I could've said to stop her," Genesis said calmly.

The anger radiating off of Zack was palpable and Angeal and Sephiroth took a step back to avoid being singed by the rage. "You let my woman go head first into danger? If Scarlet hurts her, I _will_ kill you," he said softly.

Sephiroth refrained from scoffing; he had a feeling that the threat was angled at all three of them for not stopping Tifa in the first place. He wasn't scared of his friend, since they had kicked each other's asses in the past, but he did know that Zack had a mean punch too, and he wasn't looking to be his punching bag. Especially with all the anger he was holding inside. But he also knew that Tifa was a trained martial artist and by no means was she a delicate flower who needed protecting. "You know as well as I that Tifa can take care of herself. We should worry over Scarlet's health instead. Tifa heard us talking about Scarlet doing this to you and is more likely pounding a confession out of your ex as we speak," he said lightly.

"That doesn't make the worry go away. Where does Scarlet live now?" asked Zack, making for the door.

"The doctor needs to see you," said Angeal.

"After I make sure Tifa is okay," Zack said simply, taking back his son and walking out the door. They all followed and ignored the nurse, who tried to stop them.

"We'll drive you there. The last thing we need is another accident if you decide to pass out again," said Sephiroth.

…………………

"You bitch! You broke my nose!" Scarlet shrieked.

"I'll break every bone in your body if I can!" Tifa screamed back, sending another punch at Scarlet, which she dodged just in time. The leg sweep caught her completely by surprise, and the blonde toppled over and onto the floor. She rolled away and got to her feet, sending out her own punch and catching Tifa on the shoulder.

Tifa grunted and propelled herself forward, giving Scarlet the uppercut of her life and making the blonde roll over the side of the couch to land with a thump on her carpeted floor. "Did you really think you could get away with trying to kill Zack and that no one would ever know?" Tifa yelled, feeling angry tears invade her eyes, but refusing to show the other woman her pain.

"I didn't do _anything_ you psycho!" Scarlet yelled. "I'm calling the police and I'm making sure that they keep you locked up for a long time." She grabbed onto a decorative glass vase on her table and hurled it at Tifa, who gracefully jumped back and away and watched it shatter at her feet.

Before Scarlet could even tell she had moved, Tifa was next to her, punching her once more in the face. "I know you did. Why keep lying about it? You're a sore loser and nothing will change that. Go ahead and call the police. That way I can tell them that you tried to kill Zack!" Tifa snarled, taken off guard by Scarlet's own fist to her jaw. She stumbled back and blocked a high kick from the other woman. It was obvious she had training as well, but Tifa had been practicing martial arts since she had been a little girl and nothing could beat a lifetime of training and learning from the best.

She tried to stop Scarlet as she lunged herself at her, but momentum took them both down to the floor and it gave Scarlet the opportunity to knock her fists into Tifa's face a few times. Reaching up with her legs, Tifa pulled Scarlet back and off, forcing the woman to roll backwards to avoid getting into a choke hold by Tifa's legs. They both jumped to their feet and Tifa rammed her elbow into Scarlet's middle, knocking the air out of the other woman and driving her knee into her face, hearing the satisfying sound of another crunch.

Scarlet reared back though and rammed her own fist into Tifa's face, hitting her square in the cheekbone and then against her mouth, and Tifa felt the copper taste of blood from her split lip. As Tifa was recovering from the blows, which were more painful than she let on, she didn't catch the glimpse of Scarlet picking up a heavy ceramic plate that had been on a stand on her coffee table.

"Maybe I _did_ have something to do with the accident, but there's no proof and you won't find any either," Scarlet said quietly. "Besides, you'll never find the car I used to drive Zack off the cliff."

"You just confessed it to me, and you went and blabbed your big mouth at Genesis. That's two against one," Tifa muttered, wiping at the blood trailing from her mouth. "_I _won't rest until you pay for hurting him. Did you think that this would be your victory over us? Think again Scarlet. Zack and I are still together and no one will ever break us apart," she said turning to look at her. Tifa didn't see it coming and the next thing she knew, Scarlet had crashed the plate on her head, making her black out for a moment.

"I _never_ lose. It will do you well to learn that now," Scarlet whispered. "Now, I'm going on a trip, and hopefully by the time someone notices you are missing, you will have bled to death. I hope you have a miserable afterlife," she said with glee.

Tifa opened her eyes and blinked a few times, trying to regain her focus. It was possible that she had a concussion, but she wouldn't know for a while. Scarlet would _not_ win. She forced herself onto shaky legs and let out a sigh, grabbing for a vase full of flowers on the table she was leaning against heavily. "Hey Scarlet," Tifa said in a sing-song voice, waiting for her to whirl around. "You messed with the wrong woman," she spat before crashing the vase over her head in return.

They both fell back unconscious.

………

"Does she have a spare key?" Zack asked Genesis as they nearly ran up the path to Scarlet's extravagant home.

"No, but I kept mine," Genesis said reaching for his keys just as a police car pulled up on the street and the cops joined them. Sephiroth and Angeal had both insisted on them calling the cops and telling them of their suspicions of Scarlet and at the fact that Tifa might be in danger. Genesis opened the door and Zack stepped in, taking sight of the overturned furniture, a few shattered pieces of glass and drops of blood.

Zack's heart sunk to his feet when he saw Tifa passed out a few feet away from Scarlet. He ran over to her and lifted her up gently, noticing the blood trailing from her forehead and the various bruises on her face. Scarlet looked just as bad, if not worse than she did. "Tifa, sweetie I need you to wake up."

At the sound of his voice, she groaned in pain and her eyes fluttered a little. "Zack?"

"I'm here baby. I'm here," he said, various memories had returned to the place that had been empty for five long months. "Open your eyes. You can't pass out again or it may be dangerous."

"Head hurts," she said quietly. Then she smirked faintly and her eyes opened a sliver. "But I kicked her ass."

Zack let out a snort and kissed her lips, apologizing when she winced in pain over her split lip. "Don't ever scare me like this again. I don't want you in danger over anything. Understand?"

Tifa nodded and felt dizzy as he sat her up a little and helped her to her feet. Her legs gave out from under her, and she clung to him as he picked her up easily and carried her out to the ambulance they had called. Sephiroth and Genesis followed and Tifa spotted Angeal with Noah, who was drinking a bottle. Seriously, her boy needed to go on some type of diet; he had inherited Zack's never ending hunger.

"My face!" they heard Scarlet screech when they got her to wake up. "I'm going to kill that psychotic bitch for what she did to me! Now that the police are here, I want to accuse her of assault and attempted murder!"

"Yeah, well you'd have experience in trying to kill someone, wouldn't you?" Tifa hollered as Zack sat her in the gurney the paramedics had brought out for her.

"Shut up!" Scarlet screamed right back.

"Make me!"

"Hey! I thought immaturity was my department," Zack snapped, catching Tifa's eyes as she smirked faintly.

"It was before you lost your memory," she said lightly, reaching out to squeeze his hand in hers as the paramedic cleaned her head wound and checked her reflexes to make sure that she wasn't concussed.

Zack wanted to tell her in that moment that he had remembered everything, but… he just couldn't. His friends stared at him and then blinked when he shook his head no. He couldn't do it now, while she was hurt. "What if she had hurt you even more. What would I have done without you?"

"Hmm… raise our son and be happy?" she asked, leaning back to rest her head a little.

"She'll be fine," said the man taking care of her. "Luckily the both of you do not have concussions. Unfortunately that means that you're both going to spend the night in jail for brawling and assault."

Tifa rolled her eyes. "A night in jail is a fair price to pay for the ass kicking I gave her," she muttered. "She accepted that she had tried to kill the man I love, on the day we were supposed to marry, and when I went into labor to have our son."

The paramedic's eyes were wide and he gave her a silent thumbs-up and helped her up when the police came over to take the report of her actions and her version of what had happened. Then, like the paramedic stated, and even against Zack's complaints, she was arrested along with Scarlet.

"Lucky for you, I'm a damned good lawyer," said Genesis.

"Since when?" Zack asked.

"Since I left SOLDIER. That's one thing you didn't know about me," he said with a smirk. "I'll have her out in two hours tops. I hope you have enough money to pay for the bail," he said.

Zack nodded. "Thanks for being here," he said to his friends, his head aching only slightly still. "Yes, even you," he said to Genesis, who put a mocking hand over his heart. "Just… don't tell Tifa that I got my memories back."

"That'll be a key item in getting Scarlet convicted for attempted murder," Genesis said as if it were completely obvious, and it was.

"I just… I want to wait a few days. Her birthday is on Saturday and I want to make it memorable. Can we postpone telling the police until next Monday?" Zack asked.

"The more you wait to tell her, the more angry she will be," Sephiroth said as they got into his car and followed the police cars to the station.

"Just help me with this, won't you?" Zack asked impatiently.

"Fine," they said in unison. But they knew that they would be a part of Tifa's wrath once she found out that they had kept this all from her.

………………

"You should've let me go with you. You know, in case you needed help in kicking that whore's ass."

Tifa looked up from where she had been staring at the cracked ground of the jail cell and smirked, wincing as she pulled at her lip. "Two against one wouldn't have been fair and you know it. Did you bring the recording? Was her confession clear enough?"

"Yep," Yuffie said with a grin. "The police are examining it right now. Did you at least give her the ass kicking of her life?"

Tifa nodded. "But she got a few good punches in too. My head is going to hurt tomorrow. Do you know if I'll have to spend the night?"

Yuffie shook her head. "No. Genesis is taking care of your defense and is a little away from getting you bail. But I think Noah had a little diaper situation. None of the men know how to change diapers except Zack and Genesis, but they were busy talking to the police. Vince just swooped in and changed him in record time. Leviathan, Tifa, I love him so much. I can't wait to have more of his kids."

"At our age?" asked Tifa with a smirk.

"It's not like we're fifty. We're still young," Yuffie said with a grin.

"You're right in that. So… what have you planned for your wedding?"

Yuffie shrugged. "Nothing so far. But I think we have a more pressing matter."

"Which is?" Tifa asked, rubbing at her aching knuckles.

"Your birthday," Yuffie said simply.

"No, Yuffie. I appreciate it, but with the way things are now, I don't want to celebrate or have a party," Tifa said with a heavy sigh. "I'm not in a cheery mood."

Yuffie sighed. "But will you at least go shopping all day with me? Zack and Denzel can watch over Noah while we have a day to ourselves. Come on, Teef, don't make me pull out the watery, puppy-dog eyes."

Tifa let out a laugh. "Please. Those stopped working before you had Oren. I'm immune to that look. But fine, I'll go with you."

"Great," Yuffie said brightly. "I'll see you when you get out then. I'll watch over Noah for you," she said before waving and walking out with a policeman.

…………

After midnight, Zack awoke from a nightmare and slowly padded out of office/room. First he made sure that Noah was safe, then Denzel, and finally Tifa, but he found that she wasn't in her room and worry cramped his gut. He walked towards the living room and saw that light over the stove was on and that she was sitting at the breakfast table, a bottle of Wutai's best and a shot glass in front of her. "Hey… you okay?" he asked softly, trying not to startle her.

Despite his soft tone, she jumped a little and looked up, tears trailing over the bruises and cuts that had swelled from her fight with Scarlet. Still, she offered him a watery, painful smile. "She broke our lives over a whim. She even bragged about what she did to you."

Zack nodded. "I heard the recorded confession," he murmured, walking over to lean against the table, right next to her. "Don't cry. We're starting over, aren't' we?" he asked, feeling the guilt of not telling her the truth gnaw at his insides. He carefully wiped away her tears and smiled when she leaned into his touch.

"It doesn't take away all the hurt and the worry. I don't think anything ever will," she admitted, taking a last shot of alcohol and then standing to put the bottle away. She swayed slightly and Zack wondered how many she had had, since Tifa knew how to handle her liquor.

He caught her around the waist and pulled her in towards him, taking the bottle from her and placing it on the table once more. Her watery, almost-red-but-not-quite eyes stared into his own electric blue and all the love he felt for her clogged his throat from telling her the truth once more. He knew in his heart that she would be angry with him once she found out his memories were back, but he wanted to tell her at a special moment. "I do love you, you know," he murmured, watching as the sadness lifted a little from her eyes.

Tifa sighed and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her ear against his chest and listening to his steady heartbeat. "Will you sleep with me tonight?" she asked almost timidly.

Zack smiled to himself and nodded. "Yeah. Come on," he whispered, taking her hand in his and walking with her towards the main bedroom. Tifa checked on Noah once more and then they slipped into bed together. He spooned her, slipping his arms around her waist and holding her tightly against him. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her and hope for more, but he couldn't. She was tired, sore, and most likely still aching where she was hurt. Those things would only serve to make things uncomfortable. Instead he held her, breathed her in, feeling the rise and fall of her breathing as she slipped into slumber.

"I'll make this up to you," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the smooth skin of her neck.

………………

The day of her birthday, Zack and Denzel took Noah to Sephiroth's house and gave her the day to herself, since she would spend it with Yuffie, Aerith, and Elena. Tifa was still in bed, feeling sorry for herself—since it was already past ten in the morning—when she heard the sounds of her friends approaching her room. She sighed and smiled. "How did you get in?"

Yuffie grinned. "Did you forget that I am an expert at picking locks?"

"That's called breaking and entering," Tifa muttered, sitting up and placing her flannel clad legs over the side of the bed.

"Not when your friend is expecting you," Elena put in. "Get up and get dressed. We're taking you to get a big breakfast, and then we're going shopping, and we'll see if Yuffie can check out some wedding dresses at this boutique I recommended."

Tifa smiled and stood, stretching a little. "Alright. Just give me a while to shower and dress and then we can go."

Yuffie and the other woman walked out and waited for her in the living room. "She seems sad and depressed."

"Wouldn't you be if your man forgot you?" Elena muttered.

"My man left and I didn't see him for sixteen years," Yuffie replied.

"Yeah, well, let's try and make the most of this. The men will arrive right after we leave and they'll prepare everything for tonight. I got the caterer's confirmation and they will deliver the food and hour before the party. Are you sure we can trust the guys to not screw anything up?" Aerith questioned.

"We have to," Yuffie murmured. "Because they can't very well take Tifa dress-shopping and to the salon. Though with Sephiroth and Tseng's hair, I'd wager that they know a thing or two about beauty tips," she said with a smirk. They broke into snickers and chatted a little more as they waited for the birthday girl.

They had a pleasant breakfast at a good restaurant and took a few hours to peruse Edge's shopping district for a few hours until they found a store with beautiful dresses, and it also happened to make custom wedding dresses.

"Come on! Today isn't about me!" Yuffie grumbled as the owner showed her various dresses.

"Well, make this my present. I want you and Vincent to get married soon, and you won't unless you get serious about this," Tifa said with a grin.

"I found the perfect dress for you, Tifa," Elena said, showing her a dress that was of a beautiful red orange that wasn't too harsh on the eyes. The cut was modest, and it would mould to her curves and accentuate her most _obvious _assets in a stylish way. "Try it on!"

Tifa sighed and did as they asked, since Yuffie was finally looking through wedding dress magazines. She found that the dress fit her perfectly, but it was a little too extravagant for the small wedding that Yuffie wanted. She stepped out of the dressing room and showed it to her friends, to 'awwed' and commented on how pretty she looked. "Where am I going to wear something like this?" she asked them.

"Maybe on a date with Zack. He'll need to take you somewhere fancy though," said Aerith. "He'd certainly remember you if he saw you dressed like _that_."

"I don't think so," said Tifa with a sigh. "Why don't we just keep shopping for normal clothes?"

Her friends just shared a look and decided not to argue with her as Tifa walked back to change. "I hope she doesn't flip when she sees what we have planned for her," Aerith muttered.

"We'll blame it on Zack," Yuffie said with a snicker. "I don't think she'd hurt him."

"She will once she finds out he got his memory back last week," Elena whispered.

"What?!" Yuffie and Aerith nearly shrieked.

"Shhh!" Elena snapped.

"How do you know this?" Aerith asked.

"Tseng and Genesis are partners in their Firm. Genesis told Tseng, and naturally my husband told me. Though he'll be angry if he finds out I couldn't stop from running my mouth," Elena said with a frown.

"But… but he knows how hard this is on Tifa, why has he kept this to himself?" Yuffie asked darkly.

Elena shrugged. "Maybe he wants to tell her today."

"If he doesn't, I'm gonna rip him a new one," Yuffie hissed, making a fist. "Then, I'm going to tell Tifa that he already remembers so that she can kick his ass too."

"Okay, let's go," Tifa said with a smile. "Or did you find a dress you want for the wedding yet?"

Yuffie shook her head. "I promise that next weekend we can all get together again, and you can even ask Shera if she wants to help, and we'll start planning my wedding, okay? Today is yours Tifa," she said with a smile.

Tifa nodded and handed the owner of the shop the dress she had tried on. "Thank you, but I don't think I'll take it," she said before they all walked out of the shop.

"Oh, wait, I think I left a bag back at the shop," Yuffie said. "Go ahead and wait for me at the next shop, won't you?" The other women nodded and Yuffie walked off quickly to the shop. She smiled at the owner and pointed at the dress. "I'd like that dress for my friend. It's her birthday and she's been a little sad, so we're planning to throw her a surprise party tonight, and she needs that dress."

"That's wonderful," said the woman. "But won't she know if you take it with you, now?"

"Is there any way that you can have it delivered?" Yuffie asked.

"It will cost extra, but I can."

"Great. I'll take it and you can have it delivered now," Yuffie said, writing down the address. She really did hope that their night went as planned.

………

By the time they arrived at Zack and Tifa's home, the sun was setting and they only had to get Tifa into the dress before she found out everything about the surprise party. Elena and Aerith shoved her into her bedroom, while Yuffie walked into the backyard to check on things. Her eyes were wide as she took in all that the men had done. There was a long table where all their friends would be seated, set with plates and glasses for the wine, and Tifa's favorite flowers as centerpieces in the center. They had also placed various white lights—which had been Christmas lights—all around the trees in the backyard, giving it a very magical air. There was also a separate table filled with food, and a huge cake with a few candles ready to be lit.

Everything was beautiful, and the men were all dressed and ready, looking too handsome for words. Yuffie tried not to drool. She looked at Zack, who was holding Noah and his arms and he gave her a thumbs up. Yuffie ran off to Tifa's bedroom and grabbed the box on a chair that had been ignored until now. "You need to change, because you're going out to dinner," she said with a grin.

"What? To where? And with whom?" Tifa asked, eyebrows raised.

"Just get dressed. It's a surprise," Aerith said impatiently. "We still have to do your make-up, but at least your hair is done."

Tifa opened the box Yuffie handed her and smiled when she saw that it was the dress that she had tried on. She looked at her friend and the shorter woman shrugged. "You didn't have to," she murmured.

"But I wanted to," Yuffie replied.

Tifa thanked her and walked into the bathroom to change quickly. When she came out, Elena took her turn to change as well, seeing as they mysteriously had their own dresses waiting for them in the bathroom. She had realized that it had all been planned and they would most likely throw her a party; Tifa just didn't know where it would be. Aerith did her make-up while Yuffie changed her clothes and once they were all done, amidst threats, Tifa allowed them to blindfold her.

"Just watch your step, we're almost there," she heard Elena say.

Tifa felt the butterflies in her stomach and she realized how much she had needed the company of her friends. She had been feeling sorry for herself for the past week, since finding out that Scarlet had really been responsible for Zack's near death and memory loss, and she still had a few bruises that had yet to fade.

Tifa just couldn't believe that someone would be that evil, that she would've risked killing Zack because he had no longer been interested in her. But she got what she wanted on a certain level. Zack wasn't the man he used to be, and would probably never get his memories back. She was okay with it now, since he had managed to love her once more, but some part of her still wanted her old Zack back. Still, Scarlet would be paying for what she did for a very long time. She was still in jail and after Zack pressed charges, she would go to prison to await her trial. Tifa hoped viciously that she got life in prison for what she did to Zack.

The blindfold came off and thoughts ceased, leaving Tifa to blink into the backyard of her own home in utter astonishment. Everything was beautiful, from the lights in the trees, to the flowers on the table. Her various friends were there, and once Yuffie had removed the blindfold, they had yelled, "Surprise," for her.

Zack came up to her and took her hand in his, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "Happy birthday, sweetheart," he said with an easy grin, reminiscent of the man he had been before his memory loss.

Tifa wrapped her arms around him and smiled when he kissed her cheek. "Thank you. All of you," she said the last as she turned to the guests.

Everyone was there, even Reeve and Cloud. Barret nearly squeezed the air out of her lungs, and she almost cried when Shera came over and showed her the small baby bump and her grumbling husband. Sephiroth held her briefly and offered a few encouraging words, and her nephews pulled her into a group hug. There was no describing her happiness, or the skip of her heart when Zack winked and flashed her a dashing smile. It was then that Tifa had realized that she hadn't felt so happy in a long time. Having Noah had been a highlight of her life, but it had been shadowed by Zack's accident. But now, she had them both with her, and all her friends were there, celebrating _her_.

"Whose idea was this?" Tifa asked as Zack wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her to her seat at the long table.

"That, is a secret," he murmured, kissing her temple. "Just relax and enjoy, since there's something really important that I have to tell you after we sing you the birthday song," he said with a grin.

"What? You're all going to sing to me? The last time someone sang me the birthday song was back before Denzel was born," she said with a small laugh.

"I hear that Seph has quite the voice, so this should be memorable," Zack said, just as they were passing his friend.

Tifa giggled lightly at the glare from those green-yellow eyes and sighed against the man she loved so much. "Where did you leave Noah?"

"He's with his babysitter. They'll stay inside of the house, since I don't want him getting sick out here," Zack replied, pulling her chair out for her.

The food was promptly served, and everything was delicious, and then they all sang the birthday song to her, which had Tifa laughing in glee. Sephiroth did have an amazing voice, though it was kind of ruined by Yuffie's high-pitched tone. Vincent had tried shushing her, but her best friend would not be quieted. After the candles of the cake had been blown out and the teens had had their fill of chocolate fudge, Zack took Tifa aside and deeper into his backyard, where the trees were almost in a complete circle, and the lights looked even more beautiful.

"Did I tell you how lovely you look tonight?" Zack asked her, taking her hands in his and staring into her eyes.

Tifa shook her head. "No. but it's good to know. Thank you so much for this. I had no idea how much I needed this. The company, the song, and the cake," she said with a smile. Then she remembered. "You wanted to tell me something?"

Zack let out a deep breath and nodded. "I didn't know how to tell you. It happened the day that you and Scarlet nearly beat the pulp out of each other, just as you left our home," he whispered, sounding a little nervous.

Tifa frowned when she felt his hands go a little clammy. "Come on, just tell me. Nothing can be this hard. Unless… it's something bad," she whispered the last part.

"I'm just… I'm so sorry I forgot you. Ever since I woke up from the accident, it has felt like I'm missing a piece of my heart and it hurt me to see you so sad. To know that it was my fault that you haven't been able to enjoy our son's birth."

"But it wasn't your fault," Tifa interrupted. "It was all Scarlet's doing. None of this was your fault," she said softly, touching his cheek gently.

"I promise to never again forget you," Zack said quietly, not breaking their eye contact.

"Why would you?" she asked with a small smile.

"Because I got my memory back last week. At the moment you left our home to confront Scarlet," he said, waiting for the words to sink in and her reaction.

Tifa stared at him uncomprehending for a moment, and then her brain registered his words, and the wide of his eyes, and the sweaty feel of his hands in hers. The first thing she did was let go of him. He had known for a _week?!_ He had known for a week and hadn't told her until now?! She let out a slow breath and couldn't stop the tears that slipped over her cheeks. His face fell then, and he reached up to clean the tears away. She took the opportunity then, sending her fist into face hard enough to turn his head and make him stumble back a step.

Zack stared at her, amazed at how much pain he was feeling in his jaw, and just how deadly Tifa was with her fists. She was looking at him in fury, and he didn't know what to do to diffuse the situation before she decided to beat him to his hands and knees before her. Speaking of knees, it wouldn't be a bad idea to grovel for her forgiveness. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to make your birthday special!" he said quickly, trying to grab her hand, but moving away when she flinched from his touch.

"You knew about this for a week!" Tifa hissed, more tears escaping her grasp. "You saw how much Scarlet's admission hurt me and still you let me believe that you were clueless about our past?" she asked softly. "Do you have any idea how many tears I have cried because of this?"

"Please, forgive me. I didn't do this to hurt you!" Zack said quickly. "I love you more than my life!"

"Well, it's good to know that you love me enough for you to be okay when you see me cry," she said in silent defeat. "You made me promise to never keep anything from you, especially after I didn't tell you right away about Noah. Why demand something when _you_ won't keep your own end of the promise?"

Zack was left speechless. He hadn't thought it would be this much of a big deal! He had been counting on her being happy that he remembered, that she wouldn't be so angry about him _waiting_ a week before telling her. He had wanted her to have a _happy_ birthday, not a miserable one. "Tifa… please," he whispered, his heart sinking to his toes. "I want to marry you, and I want to have more kids with you. I wanted your birthday to be the best one, because you deserve it more than anyone I know."

Was she really overreacting? Tifa looked away from him when he tried to meet her eyes, but she didn't stop him when he wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her to him. She kept her body rigid and her face turned away. She did close her eyes when he nearly curled his body around her and tucked his face against her neck. Those sweet smelling spikes rubbed against her nose, and she was reminded of how much she had hoped and prayed for him to get his memory back no matter what. He had it back now and she was making him feel guilty when they should've been celebrating. But that didn't take away from the fact that he had lied to her face and pretended for seven whole days that he didn't remember her from the moment they had met.

"You're sleeping on your futon tonight and every night until we get married," she muttered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Zack let out a shaky laugh and hugged her, lifting her straight off of her feet in his happiness. "God, anything if it means that I haven't lost you."

"You haven't lost me," Tifa whispered, more tears coming. "I thought _I _had lost _you_."

"Never," he murmured before kissing her gently, setting her down on her feet and rubbing her tears away. "You forgive me?"

Tifa smiled and rubbed a thumb over the bruise on his jaw. "Yes. Mostly because you won't ever find anyone else who puts up with your off-key singing in the shower, oh and because there's no one else who can cook enough food to actually fill you."

"Only because of that?" he asked with a grin.

Tifa nodded. "Oh, yeah… and because I love you too."

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Dunno if I wrote Tifa fighting with martial arts, or just plain street fighting, hehe, sorry. I'm not very good at writing fights of any kind, but I think I did a fairly good job of them kicking each other's butts. The title of the chapter was supposed to be like the song, _"It's my party and I'll cry if I want to," _but it turned out way too long, so I left it at half that. I don't know if I rushed Zack's memory returning, but five months have passed since he lost his memory and it was about time. Besides, I had to get my last dose of drama before the ending. So next chapter will cover the wedding, we'll see closure for Sephiroth and Aerith, and Vincent and Yuffie will get their happy ending too, unless you guys want me to leave it at this chapter? I don't mind, but whatever you readers decide, I will do. Personally, I'd like to see the ending for everyone.

Okay, so once more, thank you to those who took the time to read and then comment, I always have a great time reading what you all think. Also, just to let you know, we've already passed the 13,000 hits, so I'll take that as a confirmation that people have liked this fic so far, so thanks for that too, and if you don't like it, thanks either way. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I'll try to have the next chapter out by next Thursday! Have a great week.

Joey

P.S. Did anyone know that four-year-olds kick butt at staring contests? My little sister was just nagging me about something and I said no, and we had a staring contest in which I lost and she didn't blink once. I just thought I would share that tidbit with you all, since I've gotten stories of readers doing dances and dogs chewing their paws off. Hehe, you make my day. Oh, and after I wrote this, we had an earthquake over here! We're okay though, but it was a little scary, seeing as it was a 5.4. See you later!


	22. Love Struck

Disclaimer: I don't own the lyrics used at the end of the chapter. The song, _"Turn the Page,"_ belongs to Bobby Valentino and I am making no money off of his song or any of the characters in this fic.

_Warnings: Adult situation towards the middle as a goodbye present!_

………………………………

**Love Struck**

………………………………

"My little baby is all grown up," Tifa said, voice cracking as she looked at Denzel in a tux. He really was a handsome boy, and she wasn't just saying it because he was her son—though that had _something_ to do with it. She shifted Noah on her hip as her baby ate a piece of banana. "I bet you're sad that I won't be able to go, huh?"

"Absolutely devastated," Denzel replied as Zack handed over the corsage for Marlene and a few couple of gil. "What's this for?"

"So you can take her somewhere after prom, and I mean like a restaurant, not a hotel," Zack clarified when Tifa glared at him.

Denzel's cheeks colored and he cleared his throat. "Do I have a curfew?"

"Does Marlene?" Tifa asked.

"One in the morning," he replied.

"Then I expect you here at two," Tifa said, wincing when a piece of squashed banana slid down her arm.

Denzel nodded and kissed her cheek before shaking Zack's hand and then rubbing Noah's hair gently. "Thanks ma, I'll tell Barret to send you the pictures later on. Are you sure you won't be able to go?"

Tifa shook her head. "I want this to be your night," she said, eyes tearing up. "But I do expect you to be on your best behavior. Make me proud."

"I will," Denzel said with a grin, making his way out of their home.

"Take care of Marley!" Zack called before he had shut the door. "Wow. They do grow up quickly, don't they?" he asked with a grin, pressing a kiss to Tifa's forehead.

"You didn't even know him before he was sixteen," she commented, walking with him towards their bedroom. The baby went into his playpen and Tifa took a look at what she had already organized for their wedding. "Where do you want us to get married then? I gave you the week you asked for to decide, and it has passed."

Zack sighed. "Sweetheart, I don't know. Anywhere is good enough for me as long as we're finally legally married."

"So you have no preference?"

"How about we marry in Costa del Sol? We'll have the beach, we can stay at a hotel, and it won't be too expensive. I hope," he added with a sigh.

Tifa just grinned. "We need to find someone to leave Noah with. I think that Yuffie might need a break, since she's the only one who baby-sits when we need to go out."

"How long would our honeymoon be?" Zack asked, waggling his eyebrows as he risked a look at her wedding dress. Tifa slapped him on the back of the head. "Geez, do you_ want _me to lose my memory again?" he asked, rubbing his head.

"Don't use that ruse on me, Zack Fair. I don't want you looking at my dress because—for the love of everything precious—we don't need anymore bad luck," she said with a grin, leaning in to steal a kiss from him as he lay on his back and looked up at her.

He just smirked and caught her by the back of the neck, bringing her back down for a deeper kiss. "How much longer are you going to keep me on my futon? You have no idea how much I need you," he murmured.

Tifa sighed and looked at Noah, who was throwing all of his toys outside of his playpen. "I told you that until we got married," she said, going back to her planning.

"You were serious?" Zack nearly whined.

"As serious as you were while you lied to me about not remembering anything yet," she said casually not stopping her notes.

Zack looked away guiltily and nodded. "Fine," he said, sounding and looking like a big five-year-old. "I'll give Noah his bath and then put him to sleep."

"Okay, thanks. I need to discuss a few things with Yuffie either way," Tifa said, watching him as he stood and picked up their son before walking away. Her look turned a little sad as she watched him go and realized that some part of her still hurt when she remembered that he had lied to her. She just had to find a way to keep from bringing it up. It wouldn't be healthy for their relationship if she didn't learn to let go of the wrongs done to her. They weren't perfect, she knew it, she just needed to be more mature about her love life.

……

Zack watched Noah as the boy looked at him with his big reddish-brown eyes. He loved the fact that his son had inherited his mother's eyes, even though the rest of him was all his. "You think your ma will ever forgive me?" he asked the baby.

Noah just made baby cooing noises and splashed water into Zack's eyes. "_You_ forgive me, right? Besides, you were in it from the beginning and you didn't judge me." Zack paused and used a washcloth to clean tiny arms and hands from banana residue. "You know I love you, right? I hope I raise you to be a good person, kinda like how your mom raised your big brother Denzel to be a good guy. He's almost grown up, you know, but he's had a good mother to guide him."

Tifa watched and listened to Zack from the doorway of their bathroom. Noah was in his baby tub in the space between the double sink, making it much easier for Zack's tall form to watch over him. "I think Noah will grow up to be a good guy too," she murmured, walking over to wrap her arms around his waist and hug him tightly. "He'll have _you_ there to be the best dad you can be."

Zack smiled and nodded. "I hope so," he murmured, catching her eyes in the reflection of the mirror. "I thought you were going to talk to Yuffie?"

Tifa shrugged. "I forgot that she and Vincent were going to the prom. Poor Oren, Yuffie is always looking to embarrass him, even a little. You want me to order in?"

"Yeah. I'm in the mood for some pizza, if that's okay," Zack said, carefully washing Noah's mini-spikes.

"Okay, you put Noah to sleep and I'll wait for the pizza," Tifa said, patting him lightly on the bum before she walked—more like pranced—out of the bathroom. Zack sighed to himself and went back to his son, a smirk on his face.

………

"I remember our prom as if it happened yesterday."

Vincent turned to Yuffie as they watched the seniors graduating that year. Denzel had just arrived with Marlene, Oren had his date, who happened to be Pauline Highwind, Cid and Shera's only daughter, though she was expecting another baby now. The rest of their friends followed with their dates, and they all seemed to be having a good time. "You were wearing a dress a little too low-cut for my taste," Vincent murmured.

Yuffie grinned and kissed his cheek. "Pfft, you know you loved it. What I remember the most though, is that we made good use of the back of that limo," she said, smirking when his cheeks colored a little. "Actually, I think that was the night Oren was conceived."

"You think so?" he asked in amusement.

"I'm not too sure, but you know… we can reenact that night if you wish. We can make good use of the back seat of my car," she said suggestively.

Vincent made a noise. "I think not. I do prefer a more softer surface."

"Like your drafting table?" she asked, waggling her eyebrows.

"No more of that. I think we almost broke it last time," he said in a low voice. "Have you thought on our wedding yet?"

Yuffie nodded. "Tifa and I have been planning a few things. I'll let you know when we're ready for your help."

Vincent sighed and pressed a kiss to her hand. "Prom was one of the last times we were actually happy."

"We're together now, and that's what matters. Better late than never," she replied. She smirked slightly when Cloud approached them to say hello. "I didn't think you would come to this thing."

Cloud shrugged and motioned towards the woman on his arm. "This is Jessie, my girlfriend. Jessie, this is Yuffie, an old friend. And Vincent you already know."

"It's nice to meet you," Jessie said with a warm smile.

"You too," Yuffie replied, wondering when Vincent had met her. "We've seen each other in the hall but we've never had time to talk, have we?"

"No, but it's good to finally get to know you," Jessie replied.

"Did Tifa come?" Cloud asked.

Yuffie shook her head. "She decided to stay in with Noah and Zack and let Denzel have this night to himself. I think Aerith is here though, I just saw her around here."

Cloud nodded. "I'll see you two around. I hope you have a good night," he said before he walked away with Jessie.

"Did you have to make that comment about Aerith?" Vincent asked Yuffie with a sigh. She gave him a puzzled look. "Tact, Yuffie. I don't think things are mended between them."

Yuffie shrugged. "You know better than anyone that tact wasn't always my strong suit. But I guess you're right. He has to get used to it though. He has a new girlfriend, and Aerith is pretty serious with Sephiroth."

Vincent just sighed and pulled her to the dance floor, where a few other couples were slow dancing for the moment. "Sometimes staying silent is the best thing to do," he said casually.

"Are you telling me that I talk too much?" Yuffie asked, eyes narrowed.

"No. Of course not. Saying that to you _never_ crossed my mind," Vincent said flatly, twirling her before she had the chance to reply.

…

"I was voted king of my prom."

Aerith giggled. "How am I not surprised to learn that?"

"I didn't take such a foolish title though," Sephiroth replied, noticing that his son had a very pretty girl on his arm. "At least the runt found a date."

The brunette next to him slapped his arm. "Don't call our son that! He's an amazing boy and I'm proud of how you raised him," Aerith murmured as they slow danced.

Sephiroth nodded and reached up to rub a thumb over her cheek, watching how her green eyes glittered up at him. However, the moment was ruined when a throat cleared next to them. He looked up and his eyes narrowed in anger. "What… do _you _want?" he hissed.

Cloud glared right back. "Do you mind if I have this dance with Aerith?"

Aerith looked from Cloud to Sephiroth with wide eyes. Sephiroth merely gave her a look and she nodded once before he stepped away. Cloud took her in his arms gently and they remained quiet for a long moment. "Did you need to talk to me about something?" she asked hesitantly.

Cloud nodded and moved back to look at her. "Are you happy? Have you fixed your situation with your son?"

She smiled. "We're making progress. He calls me mom now. Sometimes we're not as comfortable with each other as we would like, but we don't argue, and he trusts me a little."

Cloud nodded. "Despite what happened between us and my two failed marriages, I'm hopeful about the future. I want to have more kids," he said, smiling faintly.

"And you think your girlfriend is the girl for that? If she is, I wish you the best. I really do want you to be happy," Aerith murmured, reaching up to flick on of his spikes.

Cloud smiled and nodded. "I know Tifa's happy, all I needed to know was that _you_ were happy too," he said.

"I am," Aerith replied. "And I hope you are too. You deserve it."

"We'll see each other around then?" Cloud asked as the song ended.

"Of course," she said, smiling brightly before pulling him into a tight hug.

Cloud sighed and released her. They had their closure. "Stay in touch."

"Don't forget to invite me to your next wedding," Aerith said with a smile, watching as he smirked and gave her the thumbs up as he walked away. She turned to look for Sephiroth and saw only the tips of his long hair as he walked out the doors of the hall the prom was being held in. She frowned to herself and followed him as quickly as she could, moving past the hallways of the hotel and towards the back exit. The stars were shining brightly in the sky and Sephiroth was staring up at them from where he stood in the shadows of the dimly lit pool. "Hey," she said softly, approaching him slowly.

Sephiroth looked at her and his eyes glowed faintly with the light from the moon and the stars. "You seemed… content in the arms of your ex."

Aerith watched him carefully for a moment and something occurred to her. "You're not jealous, are you?" When he didn't reply, she released an exasperated sigh and wrapped her hands around the silky strands of his hair and forcefully jerked him to eye level. "We were getting our closure," she said impatiently. "He was asking me if I was happy, because _he_ is happy with this Jessie girl. Maybe he finally found the woman perfect for him. We said goodbye Seph, and I must admit that it hurts to know that you don't trust me after all this time."

Sephiroth stared into her watery eyes and released a heavy sigh. "I do trust you. But… when you hugged him, you had a look on your face that I haven't seen you use with _me_ before."

A few tears trailed down her cheek. "You wanted me to look relieved with you? Why?" she asked with a small laugh. "I was relieved that Cloud was happy and that I hadn't permanently damaged him in some way." She kissed him before he could reply or say something that would piss her off like, _"Maybe you still love him." _She would break his nose if he even considered it. She kissed him in a way that left no room for argument over what she truly felt for him.

Sephiroth took control of the kiss and turned her, pressing her against the wall, his hands on her hips. She finally released his hair and wrapped her arms around his neck, sucking his lower lip in a way that meant to drive him crazy. He pulled away and sighed as he pressed their foreheads together. "Maybe we should start thinking about getting married as well," he said.

Aerith stopped and stared at him. "What?"

"Marriage. You and me."

She drew away from him in indignation. "I thought you knew me better than this!" she snapped angrily.

Sephiroth looked at her in surprise, and for the life of him couldn't understand her reaction. "Don't you want to marry me?" he asked her.

Aerith let out a slow breath, pushing him away and walking off. Before she walked back into the hotel, she turned to look at him, green eyes narrowed. "If you haven't gotten to know me enough to realize that I want a _proper _proposal _and_ a ring, then you shouldn't bother asking me to marry you!" she turned, nose high in the air, and walked off.

Sephiroth watched her go in bewilderment and wondered why he was always saddled with the crazy ones. No matter, he thought with a smirk. He'd get her the damned ring and a proposal she would remember for the rest of her life. He let out a sigh and followed Aerith back to the prom.

……………

Tifa sat in her bedroom, brushing out her hair as if on auto-pilot, her mind thousands of miles away. Noah and Zack were asleep in their rooms, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get to sleep herself. Maybe it was worry of her son, since it was almost one in the morning and he had sent her a text an hour before, telling her that prom was over. Maybe it was something else. She sighed to herself and set down her brush. She shut off her light and quietly padded her way to Zack's futon. She had been serious in making him sleep there for lying to her, but she didn't want to keep him away until they actually got married. It's not like she was a virgin who wanted to wear white on her wedding day. She had his son, for crying out loud. With her mind made up, she opened his door, ushered the dogs out when they whined and then shut it after them. They would most likely invade her bed, but as long as they stayed quiet and didn't wake Noah, that was fine.

Zack was sleeping in the futon sprawled out, spikes and his feet sticking over the edge. They hadn't been able to find a futon long enough to fit him, since the man at the furniture store had said they had been sold out of the biggest type of futon. Zack had told her it hadn't mattered, so he had picked the one he was on now. All they had done was place an ottoman at his feet so that he could have somewhere to place them. She smiled to herself and pushed his blankets off and away from him, taking in his bare chest and the silk pajama pants that matched the color of his eyes.

Tifa let out a sigh and couldn't deny that his body had a very profound effect on her. He was friends with some of the most handsome men she had ever seen, but she could admit that only Zack could make her catch her breath. She just loved him that much. So with that in mind, she slowly moved over him, straddling his hips and sitting back gently. She let out a breath when he shifted and rubbed against her, still fast asleep. "Zack?" she whispered.

He made a noise in his sleep and his hand settled on her hips, but he kept snoozing. Tifa just smiled and leaned down to trail her lips over his collarbone and down his chest, feeling his muscles twitch at her touch. He groaned softly and his eyelids finally began to flicker awake. He blinked into the darkness and let out a shaky sigh as she shifted and trailed her tongue across his Adam's apple when he swallowed hard. "I must be dreaming," he said, voice deep and low.

"Dream about me often?" she asked, moving up to look him in the eye.

"All the time," he said with a sleepy grin.

She hummed softly before kissing him slowly, smiling as his hands slid over her once more slim waist. It had taken her a while, but she was finally okay with the size of her waist. It wasn't as slim as she'd had it before she had gotten pregnant of Noah, but she still looked healthy and slim. She shivered when his hands slipped under the t-shirt she had on to feel the lace of her panties. "I think… it's time for you and I to properly kiss and make-up," she murmured with a smile.

"Really now?" he asked, pulling her down into a kiss and flipping them so that he was on top. "You have any idea how much torture it has been to not touch you?" he asked, a warm hand trailing down her hip and skimming lace. Tifa let out a long breath as he pushed off the flimsy material and let his fingers go lower. He kissed her again, his tongue and fingers making her dig her nails into his shoulders as she tried to contain her moans.

"Stop," she panted. "I want us to go together," she murmured as her hands trailed down the muscles of his back and towards the soft silk of his pants. Her hand teasing him over the fabric was halted.

"You shouldn't do that if you want us to come together," he whispered into her ear, smirking when her breathing hitched. His lips trailed over her sweet skin as he kicked off his pants and then pulled her shirt over her head. They shared another kiss that left them both painting for lack of breath and out of sheer anticipation. It had been more than six months since the last time they had been together and now Zack had his memories back which allowed him to remember that fact. Her skin was like silk under his fingertips, and her scent wrapped around him like a sweet fog, lulling his senses, but also making his movements more desperate.

Zack stopped and stared into her eyes, trying to catch every one of her reactions as their bodies became one. Her lips parted slightly and her hands clutched at his arms. Her hair fanned out around her and there was nothing more beautiful he had ever seen. She always made his heart skip a beat, whether she was smiling, frowning, giggling, or scowling. Right now he was thankful that she wasn't scowling or frowning. He kissed her as he began to move, feeling her surrounding him in any way possible to the point of making him feel overwhelmed since it had been so long since their last time. It was kind of like getting to know her once more.

Her breathing was quickening as his speed increased, the sounds muffled by each other's skin for fear of waking the baby. He was in another room, but there was no telling if he would be able to wake over the noise from that room. His fingers were digging into the edge of the futon as hers moved over his back, digging whenever he flexed or hit the right spot at the right time. Tifa could feel it building, and she tried to control her body at least a little. There was no explaining how much she had missed him, and she had gone all self-righteous and kept him away, putting them both through a certain kind of torture. Well, that wouldn't be happening again, she vaguely thought, tonight he would sleep in their room like before. Just as she finished that thought, her release began to build to a height she had never felt before and her fingers dug into his shoulders helplessly, causing him to groan against her neck.

She was getting tighter around him and Zack hoped desperately that he wouldn't finish before she did—that would only help to make her angrier than she had been in the beginning—but it felt too good, and he couldn't think anymore. Then her fingers were clutching at his spikes as she moaned his name helplessly, her body shuddering and tightening rhythmically around him. Zack felt as if everything he had was pouring into her, including his energy, his love, his regrets, his dreams, everything, and he couldn't bring himself to mind. He loved her more than he had ever felt for anyone, and he wanted her to have all that he was. All that was left was for her to be his wife. "Wow," Tifa whispered breathlessly.

His breathing hitched as one last spasm went through him and he grinned, burying his face against her damp neck. When he pulled back to look at her, tendrils of her soft hair were stuck to his forehead and she laughed lightly as she brushed them away. "You can say that again," Zack replied, rubbing a hand over her flushed cheek and staring at her with a love struck look in his eyes.

Tifa stared up at him and smiled. "Don't look at me like that," she said softly.

"Why not?" he asked with a grin. "This is the face of a love struck fool," he said, pointing to himself.

"You're my love struck fool, so I guess it's okay," she replied, smoothing her fingers over his shoulders and rubbing at the marks she had left behind. "I love you," she said earnestly.

Zack gathered her in his arms and kissed her slowly as he moved onto his side. "I love you too," he whispered after, hugging her tightly to him. He would love her for the rest of his life and no one and nothing would ever get in the way.

………………………

"I think I'm going to faint," Yuffie exclaimed as Aerith put the finishing touches to her hair. The once silky, flaccid strands were in voluminous waves around Yuffie's face, making her look different than her usual self, but just as pretty. She was wearing a simple dress of pearl colored satin with straps over her shoulders and it hugged her slim waist and hips before cascading down and behind her in a semi-long train. The material at the bottom was comprised of three layers, two of which glittered as she walked. Her make-up was light and only enough to accentuate her almost shaped eyes, and her lips were a pale pink. She looked beautiful.

"Go ahead and faint now and get it out of your system. You can't faint when you're in the process of getting married," Tifa replied as she brought over the shoes Yuffie would wear.

"That's not funny. Can't you see that I'm not up to jokes right now?" Yuffie hissed, wringing her hands. The only pieces of jewelry she had on were a few bracelets on her right wrist and her engagement ring.

"Fine, fine," Tifa replied, grabbing the bouquets from the table in the hotel room they were occupying for the wedding. They were only ten minutes away from the ceremony and Yuffie was freaking out.

The wedding of Yuffie Kisaragi and Vincent Valentine would be held in the outside of a section of the most beautiful hotel in Costa del Sol. The only guests there would be their closest friends and their children. The sun was bright in the sky, the scent of the ocean was fresh, and Yuffie was throw herself out of the damned window. "Leviathan, I love Vincent, why does this seem like the biggest and scariest moment of my life?" she wailed.

Tifa and Aerith shared a look but then Elena walked into the room looking pretty in a forest green dress. They were all wearing the same color as Yuffie's bridesmaids, but each dress was a different cut and style made to accentuate their individual looks. "The guests are there and Vincent is waiting. How are we doing here?"

"I'm flipping out," Yuffie said, pacing as Tifa handed over the bouquet.

"Do you want us to get you a cab? We can have you out of here in minutes and no one will ever find us," Aerith said seriously.

Yuffie stop and stared and Tifa hid a smirk. "I can't do that to Vince. I love him too much to stand him up. We've been waiting for seventeen years—more I think—in order for this to happen," she replied.

"Then are we doing this now?" Tifa asked a smile on her face.

Yuffie let out a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. I have a man to tie to me for all eternity and I can't let him down," she said with a normal grin.

"Let's go then," Tifa said, grabbing her own bouquet, which consisted of white roses and little clumps of green flowers all around. All of the flower arrangements were of the same design and only the ones by where Vincent and Yuffie would stand included red roses. They all left the hotel room together, took the elevator and then walked towards the hall where the ceremony and their lunch would be. As they arrived, Yuffie stopped as her eyes fell on Vincent, who was wearing a black tux. He looked absolutely handsome, and as his eyes fell on her, he couldn't help but stare right back at her.

Then Zack appeared as if out of thin air and grinned. "Wow. You all look absolutely beautiful," he complimented, kissing Tifa's temple and turning to Yuffie. "Are you ready?"

Yuffie nodded and smiled. "Thanks for doing this. I didn't know who to ask, but since you've been such a great man for my sister here, I figured you were the best choice," she said, slipping her arms into Zack's.

"No problem, anyone who loves Tifa the way you do is a friend of mine," he said brightly, flashing his own fiancée a wink. She just smiled and took her position in front of them as a more classical ballad of the wedding song started. They all walked slowly to the beat as the guests stood and turned to watch them.

Yuffie had to admit that her heart was trying to jump out of her chest and she wanted nothing more than to run to Vincent and have the man who would ordain their wedding just skip to the last part. They would have a normal legal ceremony, and so would Zack and Tifa. They had all agreed that a small ceremony would be for the best, but they would get the chance to celebrate later on.

Zack smiled as he handed Yuffie over and then he walked over to Tifa and took a seat with her as the official began to speak. It was beautiful and short and in the end Tifa and Cloud signed as witnesses. Yuffie could swear that she almost fainted when the man finally pronounced her and Vincent, husband and wife. Then Vincent turned to her and flashed her a smirk before he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers gently. "Finally Mrs. Valentine," he murmured as her arms wrapped around his neck and they hugged tightly.

"Finally," she agreed as their friends cheered and walked over to congratulate them.

Zack watched Tifa and Yuffie as the both of them broke into tears and he shook Vincent's hand and congratulated him. Vincent smiled slightly and watched the women talk. "It's your turn now," he said quietly.

"Yeah. But I'm not nervous. I know I want Tifa as my wife and I can wait a few hours. I'm just glad that you and Yuffie finally got together too," Zack said.

Vincent nodded. "Do you have any idea why the picked the same day?"

"Something about having no excuse about forgetting our anniversary," Zack replied with a grin, taking Noah in his arms when Marlene brought him over. "You ready to party?" he asked the boy. Noah just yawned and grabbed his tie, trying to put it into his mouth. "I'll take that as a no," he muttered.

Yuffie smiled as Shera hugged her and congratulated her. All their close friends were there, even Cloud and Reno, though Vincent hadn't liked the idea of Reno coming along. "I'm glad you made it," she said to her old friend.

Reno grinned and winked. "I couldn't miss this," he said, eyes darting to Vincent. "Is he treating you right?"

Yuffie looked at Vincent and nodded. "Yeah. He's been the only man I ever loved. Though my old man ruined sixteen years for us, we can finally get our happy ending."

Reno nodded and kissed her knuckles. "I wish you the best then, babe. I'm happy that you're happy."

"What happened to that girl you were dating?" Yuffie asked, waggling her eyebrows.

"Still dating her," Reno said proudly. "For the first time in my life, I may be taking her seriously."

"Well, congratulations," Yuffie said, hugging him tightly. "I expect to get an invitation soon."

"I don't do weddings and tux's sweetheart, you know that," Reno replied, motioning towards the casual look he had on. "I wish you the best, but if he ever hurts you, you let me know. Alright?"

Yuffie nodded and watched him walk away as Vincent approached her once more. His eyes were a little narrowed as he looked at Reno, but she just grinned and moved his face so that their eyes could meet. "Reno will always be my friend, but don't ever doubt that I love you, okay?"

Vincent nodded and stared into her eyes. "Are you happy that we're finally married?"

"How can I not be? I've loved you since we were fifteen," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck as the breeze from the ocean blew his hair out of his face. "It's a good thing too, since I wanted our next kid to be born under wedlock," she said casually, watching as he blinked a few times.

"Are you…? You're… having a…?" he couldn't even form the questions.

Yuffie nodded and smiled in amusement, her eyes brightening as Oren walked over to congratulate her and his still stunned father. "What's wrong with pops?" he asked, looking at his father closely.

"I just told him that… you were going to be an older brother," Yuffie said gently, brushing her son's hair away from his eyes.

Oren stared and rolled his eyes. "Geez mom, you couldn't even wait until _after_ you were married to get pregnant," he said in exaggeration. "Hey!" he exclaimed, not dodging the hand to his head fast enough. He grinned then and hugged her. "Congrats, mom. I guess it's okay, since I'm gonna move out eventually," he said casually.

Yuffie's eyes narrowed. "What? Move out? I don't think so young man. Vincent, say something to him!" she nearly growled.

Vincent finally broke out of his stupor and wrapped her in his arms. "We're having another child?" he asked softly.

Yuffie nodded and smiled. "Four weeks along," she said softly. He kissed her then, not caring that all their friends were watching and ignoring the catcalls and whistles. Now, their lives were complete.

…………

Once night had fallen and their friends had rested, everyone dressed up once more to attend one more ceremony. Tifa let out a deep breath as she looked at herself in the mirror and smiled when Yuffie came to stand next to her. Tifa's wedding dress was made of a silky material that was halter and flared down and out beautifully from under her bosom. Her hair was pulled back from one side while the other was free and fell against her face in long, silky waves. Around her neck she wore Yuffie's birthday gift to her, which was made of beautiful diamonds and silver. Due to the place where the wedding would be held, she was wearing flat sandals that glittered with stones, and she had given her guests the preference of going barefoot if they wished.

"I'm so happy," Tifa murmured, running a hand down the cascading silk of her dress.

"Me too. We finally get to be with the men we love," Yuffie said with a smile. "I made sure that Noah is okay. It's a good thing your babysitter agreed to watch over him today all day. Poor girl, she looked a bit tired, but she was more than happy to watch Noah. Aerith and Seph have agreed to watch him for the rest of the week, so we're good to go."

Tifa nodded and smiled when Elena brought her own bouquet over—made of white orchids—and Tifa turned to her and Aerith. They were wearing pale pink, and it suited each and every one of them, even Yuffie, who loathed anything pink on her clothes. "Thank you for going through another wedding for me," Tifa murmured, hugging them each in turn. "You can't know how much it means for me that you're all here to share this moment with me."

"We should go. We still have to walk down the beach," Aerith said as they all got teary-eyed.

Tifa nodded and gathered her dress so that it wouldn't dirty on their journey towards the beach. As they walked out of the back of the hotel, it wasn't too far, but it was away from the rest of the public beach and Tifa smiled as she took in the hard work of her friends and herself. There was a tent of see through material where she and Zack would have their ceremony and the way towards it was lit by tall torches at the edges of a white carpet. Around the tent there were a few arrangements of lilacs and orchids and the moon and the breeze would add to the beautiful setting. As they made their way over, Tseng reached them and gave Tifa a small smile.

"Ready?" he asked her.

Tifa nodded. "I'm ready."

Tseng waited for the women to walk into the tent and turned to his cousin. "Uncle would be proud of the woman you have become."

Tifa's eyes watered and she nodded. "I really hope so. Thank you for being here with me. You're the only relative I have."

"Of course, I do hope this is the last and only time I have to give you away," he murmured with a smirk.

Tifa gaped at him. "I know you did not just say that to me!" she exclaimed with a laugh. "But no, you'll never have to give me away again," she said with certainty. She had trust in Zack and of how much she loved him.

"Let us go then," he replied, offering his arm. Tifa nodded and they walked towards the tent where everyone was waiting. Nearly all of her friends had opted to go barefoot in the sand and Tifa didn't mind. She was happy if they were comfortable. Besides, who would be able to walk in heels through the sand. She smiled as her eyes met Zack's. He looked absolutely handsome in a black tux with a dark blue vest underneath. He winked at her and took her arm as Tseng guided her over. "Take care of her," Tseng said quietly.

Zack nodded. "With my life."

Tifa grinned and shook her head once, realizing that it felt as if she were young again. She was a grown woman, starting over with the man she loved, and her cousin was warning him to make her happy after they had been together for a long time and they had a son in common. She let out a long breath and they turned to the man who would marry them. The ceremony was short but meaningful, and Zack let out a sigh of relief when Tifa finally slipped the ring onto his finger and he did the same for her. Vows were exchanged and he promised to never forget her again. Yuffie was Tifa's witness, and of course Sephiroth was Zack's. After listening to beautiful words of commitment, love, and faithfulness, they all signed. With tears in her eyes, Tifa was pronounced Mrs. Zack Fair.

"You may kiss the bride," the man said with a smile.

Zack turned to her, his eyes a little wide and shiny and he offered her a smile as he bent to kiss her, all gentle and full of love. There were happy cheers all around and everyone walked over to congratulate the newly married couple. Yuffie was the first to squeeze the breath out of Tifa and they both broke into tears.

"I'm just so happy, and hormonal," Yuffie said with a grin.

"I'm happy too," Tifa agreed, a big smile on her face. "We're married!" she nearly squealed. Elena, Aerith, Shera, and Marlene were next. Then the men gave her gentle squeezes and their best wishes, and waiters from the hotel brought over glasses and bottles of champagne.

Denzel walked over and hugged Tifa and then Zack. "Congrats, to the both of you. It was about time you got your wish," he said with a smile. "Mom, dad number two, I wish you the very best and I hope you don't have anymore kids."

"Hey!" Tifa exclaimed. "Noah isn't _that_ bad."

"Yeah, tell me that when he's up crying at three in the morning," Denzel said flatly.

Tifa just smiled and squeezed Denzel's cheek. "You're mommy's baby though, and I want to thank for being on board with Zack and me from the beginning."

"All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, and I'm glad that you are now," Denzel replied, allowing Tifa to hug him once more.

Zack watched them with a smile and then realized that everyone was already holding a glass of the sparkly liquid, except Yuffie, who had non-alcoholic juice in hers. Tifa stepped up next to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. "I want to thank you all for coming all the way over here to share this moment with us," she said as everyone quieted.

"Yeah. It means a lot to Tifa and me that you're here, especially after the last time we tried to get married," he said with a wry smile. Everyone laughed a bit at his comment. "I want you all to know that I'm a happy man. I love my wife, and I love my _sons_—I don't plan to replace you Cloud, so don't look at me like that," he said with a grin. "And I want to toast family." Zack raised his glass and everyone else followed. "Now, I would like to direct your attention to my brother, Seph," he said wrapping an arm around Tifa's shoulders as she gave him a curious look.

Sephiroth glared at him for a moment and then turned to Aerith. "I want you to look over there," he said, taking her hand in his. "You said you wanted a proper proposal and a ring," he whispered, right as the first firework went up and lit the sky.

Aerith watched with wide eyes as in the distance a wall began to light up with the words: _Aerith, will you marry me?_ She turned to look at Sephiroth and stared as he reached into his pocket and drew a black velvet box and opened it to reveal a beautiful ring. The fireworks continued and everyone around her waited for her answer. She smiled, against her will and nodded. "Yes. I'll marry you," she whispered, their friends cheering all around them.

"That was romantic," Tifa whispered to Zack as they watched Sephiroth slip the ring onto Aerith's finger.

"Seph was worried about stealing our thunder, but I told him that nothing would _ever_ steal our thunder again," Zack whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Why did you do it today?" Aerith asked abruptly, placing her hands on her hips, the ring glittering with the light from the fireworks. "On Tifa and Yuffie's wedding day. You took attention from them!"

Sephiroth resisted the urge to rub his temples impatiently, but Tifa rescued them from the potential argument. "It's fine. Today is a day to celebrate everything!" she said happily. "Zack and I are married!"

"I'm pregnant!" Yuffie exclaimed.

Aerith looked at everyone and smiled. "I'm engaged!"

"Marley and I are moving in together!"

"What!?" Both Tifa and Barret nearly screamed.

Denzel grinned and Marlene giggled. "I'm just joking," he said with a laugh. "We're going to go to school, finish our careers, and then we'll get married," he said, hugging Tifa and kissing her cheek. "The expression on your face was priceless."

"So was yours, daddy," Marlene said as she hugged Barret.

"My lil' girl ain't getting married without you asking for her hand properly," Barret said to Denzel.

"Hey, no problem. When the time comes I'll do it," Denzel replied.

"Why don't we head to the restaurant so that we can have dinner and keep celebrating?" Zack asked. Everyone nodded and began to walk towards the hotel, leaving the most recently married couple alone.

"You're not going to make me ring bearer in your wedding, are you?" Kadaj asked Aerith as he walked with her and his father.

She grinned and shook her head. "Of course not. I'll make you carry my train instead," Aerith replied nonchalantly, laughing at the look on her son's face. "Oh, come on sweetheart, I'm just kidding!" she said, hugging him around the shoulders. She nearly cried when he didn't pull away or make a face. "Are you okay with your father and me marrying?" she asked softly.

Matching green eyes looked into hers and he smiled. "Yeah. I finally get a real family," he whispered, only enough for her to hear. Aerith stopped and hugged him properly, running gentle hands through silky silver hair.

"I'm so sorry Kadaj," she said softly into his hair.

"I'm fine mom. I have you with me now," Kadaj said, pulling away from her slowly. Sephiroth gave him a reassuring nod and they followed the rest of their friends to the hotel.

………

"So…" Zack murmured taking Tifa's hands in his. "Are you happy?"

"Very," Tifa said with a smile, her eyes on the ocean, then on the sky filled with stars and a beautiful moon. "It was all so beautiful. Like a dream. I'm just glad that it was reality and that we're really together now."

"I meant what I said with my vows. I promise that wherever we go from now on, I will never stop loving you. You were the one person in my entire life who ever had such a profound effect on me. I can't see myself growing old with anybody else," Zack whispered.

Tifa smiled and reached up to press a kiss to his lips. "As long as you don't turn into one of those old guys who likes to yell at the neighbor's teenage kids."

"I'll wave my cane at them threateningly," Zack said with a laugh. "But I can see us together until our last breaths."

"I'll hold you to that," Tifa whispered.

"Anything for you, sweetheart," Zack said, blue eyes intent on hers.

"I love you. You can't possibly know how much," Tifa said as they began to walk towards the hotel. "And I'm glad we got our happy ending."

Zack shook his head and kissed her jaw. "It's a happy beginning," he said. And he knew that they would have a beautiful story to write together in the years to come.

**The End**

_Baby the story has just begun_

_We've only turned the page once_

_And trust me this is such a beautiful one_

_You don't have to turn the page_

_I've read the story_

_It ends with you and me_

_You don't have to walk away_

_The story will change_

_Baby please don't turn the page_

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Who doesn't love a happy ending? Finished on the day before the fifth month anniversary. I'm so proud of myself. Honestly? This is the first time I finish a story this quickly. I usually take up to a year or more, and this is the first fic done in such a short amount of time. I'm very happy with how it turned out and I want to thank every single person that hung around with me and gave me support with your comments, and who stayed with me from the very beginning of the story, and I also want to thank the newest readers for your continuous praise and comments. You really can't know how much it means to me to hear from you, whether the good or the crit. Flames I can do without, but I'll use them for a laugh from now on. Those of you who communicated with me through PM's, thanks for the support and for your opinions regarding my fic or any other questions I had. You know who you are, so special thanks go to you.

Now, moving to the last chapter of the story, I didn't write out the ceremonies because I thought it would've been too sappy. I love fluff, but I love and write drama better, so I abbreviated the ceremonies, I do hope no one was disappointed with how I wrote them. Then there's Seph's proposal, was it corny or tacky? I personally liked it, and it was mostly to annoy Aerith since she wanted something proper and memorable. I really hope I didn't leave any loose ends, but I will go through the story and check to for myself. I really need to clean up my grammar, and a few sentences that are confusing once I re-read them, but all-in-all I hope it wasn't too bad to read.

Now I must bid you all farewell, we had such a great time during this fic, except for that one moment a few chapters back, but I had a great time writing and I hope you all had a good time reading. I may write more ZackTifa in the future, and already I'm gathering ideas for a oneshot, but I have started a VincentYuffie multi-chapter that looks very promising, and where I'm still deciding whether to pair Tifa with Cloud or Zack. Again, thank you for your support and your comments and I hope to see hear from you all soon!

Joey


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